Thinking of You
by Anjo Mac
Summary: What happens when Bradin's forced to choose between his first love and the love of his life?
1. Chapter 1

Paddling out into the ocean on his surfboard, Bradin felt a rush of relaxation. After months and months of endless training and competitions, he was finally given a break, and spending it the only way he knew how: surfing, but this time, for himself. No worrying about perfecting moves or who he'd be competing against, just doing whatever he pleased on the board. After paddling out to the right distance, he looked ahead to claim his wave. Spotting one rushing toward him, Bradin turned himself around and prepared himself as the wave rushed underneath him. He paddled with it, gaining speed quickly, and then jumped up to a stance, and as he did, felt the familiar feeling of flying on water as he surfed the wave. This was his calling, his true self, and with that knowledge, he did the only thing that came to mind: a 360.

Once he reached the shore, he picked up his surfboard and walked over to where his friends stood, applauding his actions on the water.

"That was crazy, Westerly!" shouted his good friend, Bryce.

"Thanks, man" Bradin said, smiling. "I didn't even mean to do it, it just happened."

"Everything with you 'just happens', man," Bryce said, "Like Faith."

Bradin didn't say anything, but thought about Bryce's sister, Faith. True, they had a little something, but he couldn't do with her being on the other side of the country.

"How is Faith?" Bradin asked, setting his board down in the sand and reached for his water bottle.

Bryce shrugged. "Busy with school, as always. She doesn't know how to let go and have fun." Bryce sat down with Bradin. "What happened between you two anyway?"

"Nothing," Bradin said, and it was true, except for a good-bye kiss.

"Did you care about her?"

This question took Bradin by surprise, especially since Bryce had always told him how he didn't care about Faith because they were so different. But this question was asked like a protective older brother, not Bryce, the ladies man he was known to be. Trying to save himself some time, Bradin took a long sip from his water bottle. He didn't know how he'd felt for Faith, especially since she was only in town for a couple days.

"Look," Bradin said, "Faith and I are friends. I mean, she's your sister, and I wouldn't do that to you."

Bryce looked oddly at Bradin for a second, and then said "You're right. Of course, we're friends."

Bradin, after feeling relieved they were off the topic, took another sip of his water and looked around the beach as Bryce and the others talked about themselves. He noticed a stunningly gorgeous girl walking with her friend. They stopped a couple hundred feet away from where Bradin sat and laid their stiff down. The brunette wore a baby blue tankini that, when she turned around, you could see it tied in the back around the neck and lower back, and black swim shorts that came down to her thighs. The swimsuit did nothing to hide the flatness of her stomach as she leaned forward to flatten her towel, and as she stood back up, Bradin noticed the curves of her long legs. He watched as she sat down next to her friend, who sat closest to Bradin. Bradin turned and tapped Bryce's shoulder.

"Who's she?" Bradin asked when Bryce turned around. He pointed in the direction of the two girls. Bryce squinted to get a better look.

"Well," he said, "the blonde's Debbie Johnson, but I don't know her friend." He looked at the girl Bradin had been eyeing. "Damn, she is mighty fine, though. I wouldn't mind tapping her." Bryce laughed with the others, but Bradin ignored his comment. "You think she goes to Playa Linda High?" Bryce asked once he stopped laughing.

"No way," Bradin said, "I'd definitely notice a girl like her."

Bryce watched the girl as she talked with Debbie. "I should go over and say something," he said, getting up but Bradin pulled him back down.

"No way," Bradin said, "She's mine."

Bryce laughed. "No offense, Westerly, but do you really think a girl like that is gonna be interested in you?"

Bradin looked Bryce squarely in the eye. "And you think you have a shot with her?"

The others laughed as Bryce put his hands up in defeat. "Fine," he said, "okay, go ahead. Get her. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Bradin got up and walked towards the two girls, who were in a deep conversation, he figured probably about make-up or hair or clothes.

"… and right as he got the leverage to make the tail grab," he heard the brunette say excitedly, "but he lost his balance and slipped right off the board into the water! It was awesome!"

She was talking about surfing, surprisingly. Bradin was starting to like this girl more and more. Debbie twirled her hair, bored.

"Uh-huh…" she said, unemotionally, staring out into the water.

"Are you talking about McBorder's last competition?" Bradin said as he approached closer. The brunette looked up and smiled at Bradin, happy to see someone who liked surfing.

"Yeah!" She said, her voice soft and sweet, "That was awful for him."

"You're telling me," Bradin smiled, "But Grouth is so much better than McBorder anyway."

"Totally! I mean, I don't even know how McBorder made it to the finals, anyway, he-"

"-totally sucks." Bradin finished for her. "I thought I was the only one who thought so."

Debbie rolled her eyes and got up. "I'm getting a drink," she said and walked off. Bradin shrugged and smiled down at the girl.

"Mind if I join you?" Bradin asked.

The girl looked around, then back at Bradin. "Plenty of sand to choose from."

Bradin bent down to sit where Debbie had been moments before, about a foot away from the girl, but she motioned for him to stop. "That spots taken," she said, smiling, then patted the spot right next to her. Bradin, taking the hint, moved over and sat so his leg was against hers.

"So you're into surfing?" Bradin asked. She nodded. ""Well, that's funny, because I'm a surfer myself. I don't know if you've heard of me, but-"

"I know who you are," the girl said suddenly, looking at Bradin and smiling.

"You do?" he asked, surprised. She nodded. When he didn't say anything after that, she sighed.

"Bradin Westerly," she began, "you moved here from Kansas with your brother and sister to live with your aunt after your parents died." She turned and looked out at the ocean. "You made the surf team the first year you tried out, which is incredible, by the way. You've recently signed on with Wave Crashers and competed in tournaments with only the world's best." She faced Bradin. "Are you scared yet? Or do you want me to go on?"

Curious to know what else this girl knew about him, he told her to proceed, so she did.

"You turned down one of the best surf companies because they wouldn't let your coach be your manager, but you were immediately snatched up by other representatives, so it really didn't matter anyway. You've been winning comps everywhere you go, and from what I hear, have got quite a reputation with the ladies."

"That's a lie," Bradin said quickly, so as to not sound like a man-whore. She laughed.

"Really?"

"Okay," he said after a slight pause, "maybe it's true… a little bit. But how do you know all that stuff about me?"

Smiling, the girl turned away from Bradin. "I have my sources."

"Mind telling me who?"

Looking at Bradin, she replied, "Now, if I told you that, I'd have to kill you."

Laughing, Bradin put his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, fine." He looked over at the girl as her long silky brown hair fell over her face, wanting nothing more than to lean over and brush it off her face. He studied her physique for a moment. His eyes ran over her legs, realizing that, unlike most other girls, she was naturally tan. Returning his gaze to her face, Bradin said, "You don't go to Playa Linda High, do you?"

"What makes you say that?"

Bradin shrugged. "I'd have noticed someone like you if you did."

She laughed. "Wow. Original."

"I'm serious," Bradin said, confused. The girl looked Bradin in the eyes.

"What if I told you I sat behind you in English all year and you didn't once turn around and say anything to me?"

Bradin tried to think of who sat behind him in his English class, but couldn't think of their name, face, or even whether they were male or female. He opened his mouth to say something, but didn't know what to say, so he closed it.

Looking at her watch, she got up and dusted sand off her. "I've gotta get going," she said, reaching her hand out to help Bradin up. Bradin grasped her hand and was surprised at the strength she showed while pulling him up. He was surprised at how short she was, seeing as she seemed a lot taller from a distance, she only came up to his neck. Once Bradin was up, she didn't let go of his hand. Instead, she shook it. "It was nice meeting you, Bradin Westerly." She let go and began to walk away. Bradin watched as she slowly moved farther away, then realized he didn't know her name.

"Wait," he shouted after her, "don't I get your name?"

"No," she replied, not turning around, but Bradin could tell she was smiling.

"What if I wanna see you again?"

Walking backwards so she could face Bradin, she said, "If you wanna see me again, you'll find me."

Confused, Bradin asked "Don't I get a clue?"

Saying nothing, she pointed to the bar closest to them, turned around and walked away, leaving Bradin confused.


	2. Chapter 2

Bradin hopped back into his car with a heavy sigh after once-again failing to find his mystery girl in the seventh bar he looked at. Being only eighteen, he wasn't able to get into any actual bar, but when he asked the restaurant bars if they'd seen his girl, they all said no. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten to ask her what her name was, which probably gave her the impression that he wasn't interested, and now she was playing hard to get… or find, actually. His cell phone rang, and he picked it up after reading "Bryce Cell" on his caller ID

"What's up?" Bradin asked, putting his car in reverse and driving away from the bar in disappointment.

"What happened with that chick from yesterday?" Bryce asked, "Did you get her number?"

Not wanting to sound like a loser in front of his friend, Bradin said "Yeah, I did. I told you I could, didn't I?"

Bryce laughed. "Hey, don't celebrate just yet. Have you checked to see if it's genuine?"

"Genuine?"

"Yeah. I mean, are you sure it's her real number? Or maybe she felt so badly for you and gave you a fake number."

Bradin could feel the blood rising in his face from anger. "Of course it's genuine, I'm on my way to meet her right now, as a matter of fact."

"Oh really?" Bryce asked, disbelievingly, "Well, bring her by later, I wanna see her. What's her name, anyway?"

"Umm…" Thinking quickly, Bradin said, "Hey, she's here, I've gotta go," and hung up his phone. Not totally sure why he'd just lied to his best friend, he drove over to Mona's Sandbar, the restaurant his aunt Ava Gregory's boyfriend, Johnny Durant, owned to take a break before continuing his search.

He walked into Mona's and found Johnny clearing plates off the bar. Bradin walked over and sat down on a barstool. "Hey Johnny." Bradin said unenthusiastically. Johnny looked up at Bradin.

"Hey," he said, "it's the surf man!" Johnny noticed Bradin's depressed look on his face. "What's wrong, Bradin?"

Bradin sighed. "I met this incredible girl yesterday on the beach! I mean, she's perfect! She's into surfing, she's absolutely gorgeous, she's so nice, she knew all these things about me-"

"That's what made her perfect?" Johnny asked, placing the dirty plates on the conveyer belt that led into the kitchen. "Sounds like a nightmare, really."

"It's not that," Bradin said, "'she's just amazing."

Johnny looked at Bradin. "You say that a lot."

Bradin shook his head. "Naw, it's different this time. I mean, like Erika: we had a blast together and everything and I was totally attracted to her when I first saw her and everything, but with this girl…" He let out a long, slow breath, "I don't know."

"Have you heard from Erika?"

Johnny's question had taken him by surprise. Bradin hadn't seen his ex-girlfriend Erika Spaulding in over a year since she broke things off with him for an unknown reason, and moved away six months later to "get over him" as she put it.

"No," Bradin said after a long pause, "I don't think I ever will. She wants to get over me, remember? And I'm doing the same."

"Ahh," Johnny said, wiping a glass with a towel he had slung over his shoulder, "with this girl, huh? What's her name again?"

"That's the problem," Bradin sighed, "I don't know it. She didn't give it to me."

Johnny made a face. "That doesn't sound good. You think she blew you off?"

Bradin shrugged. "Now that you've said that… yes." He paused to think. "I don't think that's ever happened before."

Johnny leaned over and patted Bradin's shoulder. "It happens at least once in our lives," he started wiping the glass again, "Except… I don't think it's ever happened to me."

"Thanks," Bradin muttered, putting his head down on the table. He couldn't face Bryce without the girl, and if he did, Bryce would never let him live it down. As he contemplated as he stared down at the table about what he was going to do, he heard the kitchen door swing open and a familiar female voice say, "Johnny, your packages are here, but they want you to sign for them."

"Thanks, Belle," Johnny said, putting down the glass he'd been wiping. He shook Bradin by the shoulders to get his attention. "Hey, man, let me introduce you to someone."

Bradin reluctantly lifted up his head. "What?" he moaned with his eyes half closed.

"This is Belle," Johnny said, walking over to her and pushing her over towards Bradin, "She's my best worker." Johnny turned his attention to Belle. "Belle, this is-"

"Bradin Westerly," Belle finished for him, causing Bradin to open his eyes and look at Belle, who he realized was his mystery girl from the beach the other day. "I know. We met yesterday."

Johnny looked back and forth between Bradin and Belle, confused at first, but then with a sense of comprehension. He turned to Bradin and said "Is she the girl you were talking about?"

Embarrassed, Bradin nodded. Johnny let out a silent "Oh…" and backed away to the kitchen, saying he had some business to attend to. Belle smiled and looked at Bradin.

"So," Bradin said once he found his voice, "your name's Belle."

"So," Belle said, "you found me."

"It wasn't that hard," Bradin said, looking away from Belle, who didn't say anything. When Bradin looked back at her, she had a smirk on her face, letting him know she knew he was lying. "Okay, so it was hard. But you didn't give me much to go on, I mean, you pointed to a bar."

"I pointed to a sandbar," Belle replied, pulling out a glass from behind the counter, "I just thought it'd be fun to see if you'd actually try to find me."

"'Which I did," Bradin said, "Successfully, too, I might add."

Belle laughed. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"How 'bout a beer?"

Belle looked strangely at Bradin and stuck her hand out. "Let me see your ID first."

Bradin pretended to be shocked. "You're carding me?"

"We card people we think are underage," Belle said, then smiled mischievously at Bradin, "and I doubt you are of the legal age to drink, sorry bud."

Bradin laughed. "I'll have whatever's good, thanks." He watched as Belle hustled and bustled behind the counter. "How long have you worked here?"

"A couple of months," Belle replied as she placed a glass of orange soda onto the table.

"Johnny never mentioned that he hired a new girl,"

"Not that new," Belle said, propping her elbows onto the counter, "but why would Johnny say anything about me to you? I'm not that important to him."

"You're his best worker," Bradin said, remembering what Johnny had said earlier, "You'd think he'd say something about that."

Belle looked at Bradin. "Johnny talks about you a lot, you know that?" She smiled as she thought about something. "Almost in a fatherly way, you know? It's cute."

Johnny had always been the father figure in Bradin's life since his parents died, and although he knew nobody could ever replace his dad, it was reassuring to know that Johnny would be there whenever he or his siblings needed anything, as well as his aunts two other room mates, Susanna Rexford and Jay Robertson.

As Bradin thought about this, something fell into place. "That's how you knew all that stuff about me," Bradin said, looking at Belle, "isn't it?"

"What are you talking about?" Belle asked, clearly pretending to be confused.

"Johnny told you all that stuff about me, didn't he?"

Knowing Bradin had already figured out the truth, Belle sighed. "He needed someone to talk to, and I happen to be someone."

"That's something I'm aware of," Bradin said, smiling at Belle. "Well, hopefully it was good stuff."

Returning Bradin's smile, Belle said "Wouldn't you like to know,"

"I would, actually," Bradin replied, and Belle laughed.

"I really should get back to work," Belle said, wiping down the counter with a towel she grabbed from behind.

But Bradin wasn't ready to leave yet. He hadn't even come close to knowing all the things he wanted to know about Belle, and what was bothering him was that there was a bar top standing between him and Belle, meaning the only way he could move any closer to her was to lean over, and if he did, he might just kiss her right there in front of everyone, not that he would have minded anyone seeing him kiss her.

"When's your break?" Bradin asked, hoping it was soon.

"About 4 hours ago," Belle replied as she kept wiping the counter. When she looked up, she saw Bradin's glum expression, and she smiled. "I get off in half an hour." She said when Bradin made eye contact with her, and disappeared through the kitchen door.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I'd just like to take this time to thank the people who reviewed my story, especially Kitty-Kat4life! I wasn't too sure about putting up a story, but thanks to you I have confidence now that I know people are enjoying my story! This one's for you, Kitty-Kat4life!_

Bradin watched from the back of the restaurant as Belle punched out and pulled her hair out of the ponytail she had in earlier and walked over to him. "Ready?" he asked. He must have caught her off-guard because she jumped, but recovered quickly.

"I thought you'd already left," Belle said, hand over her heart to steady herself, "I didn't see you after I went in back."

"I thought I'd better make room for some people who really wanna use the bar," Bradin said, "so I moved to the back."

Smiling, Belle said, "Aren't you nice?"

Bradin shrugged. "I try to be sometimes."

The two walked out of the restaurant onto the pavement where they were surrounded by stores and stands with people pressuring you to buy stuff. For a while, they walked silently side by side. Bradin was just enjoying the fact he was standing next to Belle, and could feel a rush when the soft touch her hand accidentally brushed against his as they swung by her side. It was all he could do not to reach over the tiny fraction of an inch and hold her hand in his.

_What is wrong with you, Bradin?_ Bradin thought to himself as he tried to regain his composure. With the sun beaming down upon them, Bradin felt sweat drip down the side of his neck, and his mouth was getting really dry, but he wasn't sure if that was because it was really hot outside or the fact that Belle was standing next to him and he couldn't think of a word to say. He didn't know why it was that sometimes he felt so self-conscious around her, but other times he was totally comfortable.

"It's so hot out," Belle said.

"Are you thirsty?" Bradin asked, glad to know that he hadn't totally lost his voice. Belle nodded as she wiped at the little beads of sweat that were building around her forehead. "Well, wanna head over to the Tiki Squeeze for a smoothie?"

"Sure,"

They walked over to the Tiki Squeeze and over to the counter where Bradin saw his sister Nikki's boyfriend, Cameron, who was ringing up an order. Cameron looked up from the cash register and smiled at Bradin, or at least that was what Bradin thought.

"Belle!" Cameron exclaimed.

"What's up, Cameron?" Belle said, smiling at him. "Long time, no see."

"Yeah, I've been working like crazy lately. And you haven't been coming in lately."

Belle shrugged. "I've been working a lot, too. Johnny's short on people this week. It seems everyone's decided this is the week to go on vacation."

Feeling a bit left out, Bradin said, "Tripleberry smoothie,"

Cameron looked at Bradin as though he'd just realized he was there. "Oh, hey Bradin!" He looked from Belle to Bradin. "I didn't know you knew each other."

"Yeah, same here," Bradin said as Cameron began blending two smoothies. Realizing Belle hadn't ordered yet, Bradin put up a hand to stop him. "Wait, Belle hasn't ordered yet."

"It's okay, Bradin," Belle said, pulling Bradin back away from the counter causing goosebumps to form over his body, "Cam knows already."

"Yeah," Cameron said, pouring the smoothies into two cups, "Belle always gets the same thing everytime she comes here. Strawberry Banana with a cup of blueberries and protein."

"As always," Belle said, taking her cup from Cameron and pulling out her wallet, but Bradin put his hand on hers to stop her.

"I can get it." Bradin said, pulling his own wallet out of his pocket.

"It's okay," Belle said, still trying to pull out her own wallet from her purse, but by the time she had gotten it out, Bradin had already handed Cameron a twenty. As Cameron handed back his change, Belle looked at Bradin, smiling, and said, "Thanks."

"No problem," Bradin replied, returning the smile. They walked away to find a table far from the windows to keep out of the sun, but it was obvious they weren't the only ones who were thinking this: all the tables near the windows were empty. Stuck with very little options, they walked over and sat down, and to their surprise, found they were sitting where an air vent was blowing cool air upon them.

"Suckers," Belle said softly towards the others who were cramped in small corners, obviously uncomfortable. Bradin laughed.

"So," Bradin said, once again, feeling much more comfortable, "how do you know Cameron?"

"I was his camp counselor a few years ago," Belle said, "I met him around the time his parents were getting a divorce. Cameron goes to camp every year, and all his past counselors told me he was this totally happy kid, but when I got him, he was always upset and really quiet. But then he met your sister, Nikki, and he's just been so happy since."

Bradin nodded, but then looked at Belle. "Wait, how do you know Nikki?"

"Are you kidding me?" Belle laughed, "Nikki and Cameron are like, attached at the hip. You can't know one without knowing the other."

Bradin smiled. "So, who else in my family do you know?"

Belle thought for a moment. "Well, Johnny, obviously, and your Aunt Ava comes around every now and then… Susanna stops by to say hi a lot, umm… Derrick and Johnny seem really close, he comes around a lot… Nikki, I just explained… and Johnny talks about Jay sometimes, but I haven't actually met him. Probably because he's always out with you." Belle playfully pushed Bradin's shoulder and laughed, but Bradin didn't.

"How come I never saw you?" Bradin asked, wanting to know the answer. A girl like Belle was someone Bradin was sure to have noticed at least some time in his life, especially since it seemed everyone else in his family knew her.

Belle shrugged. "Maybe you just weren't paying attention," Belle suggested and took a sip of her smoothie, "And it's not like I'm all that wonderful anyway."

"Are you joking?" Bradin said before he could stop himself. Once he heard what he said, he blushed, but he felt himself blush more when Belle started laughing.

"You're flattering, Bradin," Belle said, "but you don't know me that well."

Bradin thought for a moment, then said "Yeah, but I wanna know you."

The silence between them was deafening. Belle just stared at Bradin with a blank look on her face.

"Unless you don't want me to," Bradin said quickly, "because you don't have to tell me anything you don't want me to know."

Belle smiled. "I just don't understand why you find me so interesting."

Bradin took a deep breath. "I don't know, either, honestly, but I do, and I can't help it. So either you can tell me whatever you want me to know, or you can leave me wondering, which isn't really fair seeing as you have sources that I don't have."

Belle laughed. "Okay, okay. What do you wanna know?"

"How long have you lived in Playa Linda?"

"I was born here," Belle replied, "my family moved to New York when I was about two, then we moved back here about 2 years ago."

Curious, Bradin asked "Why?"

"My parents' were transferred back here."

"And what do your parents do?"

Belle looked over at Bradin and smiled. "Haven't you heard? They're the biggest drug dealers in the U.S."

Bradin looked surprised. Seeing his reaction, Belle laughed. "I'm just kidding," she said, touching Bradin's hand on the table, once again sending a rush of excitement through his body, "I've heard so many people say that about my family, it's insane."

"Why would they say that?"

Belle shrugged. "Who knows? But I don't care."

"What do your parents do then?" Bradin asked, relieved to find out that he wasn't dealing with a drug mob's daughter.

"Owners of the Xiong Law Firm. My parents are lawyers."

"Your parents own the Xiong Law Firm!" Bradin asked, shocked. "They're like, the biggest law firm around, aren't they? Don't they represent those celebrities in court or something?"

Belle nodded. "Exactly."

"Wow," Bradin said in awe, "well, your family must be loaded then, I mean, celebrities must be paying your family big bucks to defend them."

"If you're asking if my family's rich," Belle said, sitting back in her chair, "then… I guess you could say yes. But," Belle sat forward again, looking Bradin squarely in the eyes, "that doesn't mean you can mooch off me just because my parents have money."

"That's not what I was saying," Bradin said, offended, "I make my own money, why would I have to mooch off of you?"

Belle didn't reply right away. She looked down at the table. "Sorry," she apologized, "it's just that I thought I'd get it out in the open. People just like to live off me because they think I have an endless supply of money in my pocket."

Seeing the sincerity in her eyes brought a sense of guilt over Bradin. He knew that feeling, too. Bryce tended to do that from time to time.

"Can I ask you something?" Bradin asked. Belle looked up and nodded. "Your parents are big law firm lawyers with probably more money than you can count, so why do you work at Mona's Sandbar?"

"My parents make me pay for a lot of my own things," Belle said, "it's to teach me some responsibility. I mean, I'm almost eighteen and I can't live off my parents forever. I'm not saying my parents don't provide stuff for me, I just don't wanna come off as some spoiled little brat who goes running to her mommy and daddy every time she's maxed out her credit card like the girls at my school."

Bradin smiled at Belle's modesty. She had ways of continually amazing him; just when he didn't think she could do it again, she did.

"Wait," Bradin said, "your school? I thought you went to Playa Linda High?"

Belle smiled at Bradin. "I never said I did."

"But you said you sat behind me in English all year," Bradin said, confused.

"I said what if I told you I sat behind you in English," Belle corrected him, "I never said I actually did. Usually people remember who sat behind them when I say that, but you…"

"I know," Bradin sighed, "I know, I don't pay attention." He looked at Belle, knowing he'd have to be on his toes around her. She never really seemed to answer questions straight out. "So, what school do you go to, then?"

"Trinity," Belle answered. Bradin's jaw dropped.

"Trinity?" He asked, "isn't that a private school?"

Belle nodded.

"But," Bradin continued, "you must be really smart then! I mean, isn't that a school for like, gifted kids?"

"You mean weirdos who try and outsmart each other by being more weird?" Belle laughed. "It's hell, Bradin. Seriously. I mean, some stories of private school kids are greatly exaggerated, but others are scarily right on target."

Bradin smiled flirtatiously at Belle. "And which one are you?"

Belle returned the flirtatious smile. "I'll let you figure that one out."


	4. Chapter 4

After spending over an hour talking in the Tiki Squeeze, Bradin's attraction for Belle had grown. He couldn't explain why he was so attracted to her; maybe it was the fact that she was extremely smart, or that she was so nice, or maybe it was because she only answered your questions enough to get you by, but always kept you wanting more.

As they went back out into the hot sun, Belle once again brushed up against Bradin's arm, causing goose bumps to form again, despite the fact that it was burning out. Wanting nothing more than to hold Belle's small hand in his, he reached over to grab it, only to find that her hands were busy pulling her hair into a ponytail.

"So," Belle said, letting her hands fall back down by her sides, "when's your next competition?"

Bradin stretched his arm out behind Belle to make up for his sudden hand movement. "To be honest," he said, "I don't know. Probably not for a while, though. I've got this week off, and then I've gotta get back to training."

"Tough,"

"Not really. It's all part of the job." Bradin turned to Belle. "'You said you like surfing, are you any good?"

Belle shrugged. "Not as good as you," she replied with a blush, "I've only been surfing for about as long as you, but… unfortunately, I'm not blessed with your talent."

Bradin laughed. "I'm sure you're better than I am."

"Yeah, right," Belle laughed, "I saw that 360 you did yesterday, Bradin. Without even trying! I can't even turn 90 degrees without crashing."

Seizing the opportunity, he said, "I can help you."

Belle looked up at Bradin. "You can?"

Bradin nodded. "Of course. You won't even have to pay me, just having you there would make me wanna show up."

Bradin saw a flush of pink on Belle's cheeks. "Okay, then," Belle replied, "Are you busy tomorrow?"

"No, that'll be fine."

"Great," Belle smiled, "I work around 3 tomorrow afternoon, so anytime before that will be fine."

Bradin smiled, feeling like he was floating in the air. Without realizing it, Bradin said, "Cut it out," out loud.

"Cut what out?" Belle asked.

Finally realizing what he'd done, Bradin forced a laugh. "Oh, nothing," Bradin said, quickly trying to change the subject, "Er, maybe I should have asked you this earlier, but are you seeing anyone? Because I don't wanna get hurt."

Belle laughed. "I'm not seeing anyone, so you won't have to worry about your life." Belle looked at Bradin. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Any special girl in your life right now?" Belle asked curiously.

Bradin shook his head. "No," he replied, "No one special that is. I'm never in one place, so it's kinda hard, you know?"

Belle nodded. "I see."

"Westerly!" Bradin heard someone call from ahead of them. He looked up and saw Bryce who began to walk over towards them.

Belle looked over at Bryce, who smiled back and winked. She turned back to Bradin and asked, "Friend of yours?"

Bradin nodded as the others approached. "Hey, Bryce," Bradin said, giving him a handshake. Bryce wasn't paying attention to him, though, his focus was on Belle.

"Who's your friend?" Bryce asked as he eyed Belle flirtatiously, causing Bradin to wish Bryce had never come over.

"This is Belle," Bradin said, "Belle, this is my buddy-"

"Bryce," Bryce said, pushing Bradin out of the way, "it's nice to meet you," He took Belle's hand in his, "I'm a surfer, too,"

Seeing Belle's hand in Bryce's made Bradin angry seeing as he'd spent the whole day trying to figure out how he could hold it, yet Bryce had done it within two seconds.

Clearly, though, Belle was not interested. "Nice." She replied as she pulled her hand away from Bryce's and moved closer to Bradin.

"You wanna be with a real surfer?" Bryce asked as his eyes wandered over Belle's body, "I can show you stuff that you've never seen before."

Belle looked at him strangely, then turned to Bradin. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom," she said and walked away.

Bradin looked at Bryce, whose gaze followed Belle as she disappeared into the ladies room. When he looked back at Bradin, Bradin had his eyebrows raised.

"What?" Bryce asked innocently.

"I told you," Bradin said sternly, "she's mine."

Bryce laughed. "Oh please, I saw the way she was looking at me."

"Yeah, so did I,"

"So we agree," Bryce smiled, "she's into me."

Bradin made a face. "Are your eyes even open? She's not into you."

"Admit it Bradin," Bryce said, putting his hands on Bradin's shoulders, "she's into me. I think you might be seeing what you wanna see."

"I think you might, too, Bryce," Bradin said, pushing Bryce's hands off, "Look, she's not like that."

"Please!" Bryce said with a snicker, "I know girls, Westerly, and a girl like that has got 'easy' written all over her."

"Stop!" Bradin shouted angrily.

Bryce looked at him, confused. "Are you saying you don't wanna tap her?"

Bradin rolled his eyes and sighed. Not wanting to sound like an idiot, he said, "No, I'm not saying I don't wanna tap her, but-"

"Then it's easy," Bryce said, "Play it up a bit, turn on the old charm, next thing you know, you're on top of her in her bed. Easy." He looked at his watch. "I've gotta get going, though. Promised Mandy I'd be back an hour ago." Bryce began to walk away, but then turned back and said "Remember, Bradin: Play it up a bit." He turned and walked away.

Feeling very uncomfortable, Bradin ran his hand through his sandy blonde hair and sighed. Bryce only ever had one thing on his mind and that was getting laid. He hated the way Bryce referred to Belle in sexual term, but most of all, he hated the look Bryce had on his face when he said it. Almost like it were a fantasy. And it wasn't as though Bradin hadn't had his share of sexual relations, but there was something different about his attraction to Belle. It wasn't sexual, but more of something Bradin wasn't quite too sure of yet. The only thing he knew for sure was that whatever it was, he wanted it.

Hoping Belle hadn't come back from the bathroom yet, he turned around, only to find Belle standing behind him with a look of shock on her face. Bradin knew she'd overheard Bryce.

"Belle," he said, "Look, I'm sorry-"

"You pervert!" Belle shouted at Bradin, "is that what you do with your friends? Find ways of getting into a girl's pants?"

"No, Belle-"

"You're disgusting, Bradin," she turned on her heel and ran away before Bradin had a chance to say anything.


	5. Chapter 5

"Wait, Belle!" Bradin shouted as he chased Belle through the crowded streets of Playa Linda. Short as she was, Bradin was having trouble keeping up with her despite his 6 inch advantage. He couldn't keep within 15 feet of Belle and he was having trouble seeing her because, once again, she was shorter than most others, giving her an advantage. Dodging through a group of girls in bikinis and guys in swim shorts, Bradin sped up to catch up with Belle. As he began to near her, he opened his mouth to say her name but then felt something hard come into contact with his leg. The next thing he knew, Bradin had fallen forward, breaking his fall with his arms. As he landed, he felt the hard asphalt skin his elbows and knees. He struggled to get up and felt an arm hook under his and pull him up. Once he was up, he turned to thank the person who helped him, but the revelation almost knocked him back down to the ground.

"Easy there," Belle said, still holding onto Bradin's arm to give him support. She walked him over to another chair and sat him down where she bent down to examine his injuries. "That was a nasty fall."

Bradin nodded, not taking his eyes off Belle even as she got up to grab napkins from the nearest table. It wasn't until she began dabbing his head did Bradin realize that when he tripped over the chair he'd knocked over a pitcher of water, which doused him once he fell.

"Are you hurt?" Belle asked, and then she laughed. "What am I saying, of course you are," She began to wipe at the bleeding scrapes on his arms and legs with a new napkin.

"You came back," Bradin said, still not taking his eyes off Belle.

Belle shrugged, not looking up at him. "I heard a crash. When I turned around, I saw you on the ground. What was I supposed to do, leave you there?" Belle sighed. "I'm not that heartless, although, I will admit, you deserved it."

Remembering what had caused him to be distracted, Bradin said, "It wasn't what you thought back there."

Belle snorted. "Really? Well, it sounded like your friend was giving you advice on how to get me into bed.

Bradin sighed. "I didn't ask for it." Belle gave him a look of disbelief. "I swear I didn't."

"Listen," Belle said, putting the napkin down and looking up at Bradin, "It's not a secret that you have your ways with the ladies, and I don't blame you," Belle sighed, "But as much as I like you I'm not sure I wanna be one of them." She began to dab at the scrapes on his arms, but Bradin stopped her by taking her hands in his.

"Belle," he said, "Look, despite what you've heard about me and girls… it's not all it seems."

Belle tried to pull away from him, but Bradin held onto her hands tighter.

"Obviously," Bradin began, "there's nothing I can say to change your mind, but before you decide anything about me, will you at least let me prove it to you?"

"Prove what?" Belle asked doubtfully.

"That you're not like other girls," Bradin said making eye contact with Belle, who, after a while, smiled at him.

"And how many girls have you used that line on?"

"Just you," Bradin said honestly. Belle started cleaning Bradin's cuts again, hiding a smile on her face. Knowing that they were going to be fine, Bradin said, "So, you like me, huh?"

Belle laughed. "Maybe a little bit…"

"Good, because I like you a little bit, too," Bradin joked.

Belle looked up at Bradin with the smile she tried to hide earlier. "Let's just get you cleaned up, Bradin," she said as she stood up, "I've got a first aid kit in my car." She bent down to put Bradin's arm around her shoulders, but he hesitated.

"Are you sure you can hold me?" Bradin asked.

Belle laughed. "I'm short, not weak."

Getting up, Bradin put his arm around Belle's shoulders, still doubtful, but once Belle wrapped her arm around his waist and held onto the hand Bradin had slung over her shoulder, Bradin could tell she was stronger than her tiny build led him to believe.

As they walked together, Bradin couldn't help but smile every time he looked over at Belle. Being so close to her made him forget the pain in his right leg each time he put pressure on it, or that he just made a complete fool of himself, or that he was soaking wet and with each step they took he was getting Belle wet, too. He loved the way her hand was holding onto his, how her arm was wrapped tightly around his waist to keep him from toppling over, but he especially loved the way her grasp tightened with every stumble he made.

"My car's right over there," Belle said as they entered the parking lot behind Mona's Sandbar. She led them over to a baby blue convertible, popped the door open and helped Bradin into the passenger's seat.

"Baby blue, huh?" Bradin asked, feeling as though they'd reached the car much too soon, but then again, had they not he might not have ever let Belle go.

"Yep," Belle said reaching into the glove compartment and pulling out her first aid kit.

"I figured you for a silver kinda girl," Bradin shrugged.

Belle shook her head. "Silver's too common, so's black. I thought I'd go with something you don't see everyday." She pulled out a small bottle of peroxide and some cotton balls.

Bradin studied the car. "This doesn't seem like the type of car a girl who's parents are multi-billionaires would have."

"I bought the car on my own, and I have to pay insurance," Belle shrugged as she bent down to take care of Bradin's legs, "My choices were kinds limited." She dabbed peroxide onto the cut, causing Bradin to scream in pain.

"That hurts!" Bradin said.

"So I gathered," Belle said as she leaned over and blew on it. Bradin looked at her in amazement. He never had a girl take care of him the way Belle was doing and it made him feel really good, almost wishing she would scrape her knee just so he could take care of her.

Belle looked back up at Bradin and smiled. "Better?" she asked.

Bradin nodded. "Yeah," he said in a kind of whisper. As she began to attend his other cuts, he said, "had I known hurting myself would have given me this much attention from you, I'd have hurt myself a long time ago."

Belle laughed melodically. "Every time I wonder if you've run out of lines, you keep surprising me."

"It's not a line," Bradin said, honestly, "I really do like you."

Belle looked at Bradin as though searching for something in his eyes. "So," she said while maintaining eye contact, "you're saying that this attraction you have towards me is totally non-sexual?"

Bradin thought for a moment. "Well, if by 'non-sexual' you mean I don't wanna kiss you, then no."

Belle rolled her eyes, but had a smile on her face. "You know what I mean, Bradin."

He took a deep breath. "Belle, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't-"

Belle started to get up, but Bradin grabbed her by the hand.

"-but," he continued, "I don't mean now. There's so much more I wanna know about you before we could even enter that stage of life together, and we won't even know unless we give us a try, Belle."

Looking down at her hands, still covered by Bradin's, then back up at him she said, "How do you know if we'll even enter that stage, Bradin? How do you know I'm even someone you want to enter that stage with?"

Shrugging, Bradin said, "I don't. But then again, do you ever know when you start a relationship with anyone?"

"You don't even know me, Bradin," Belle said quietly.

Bradin sighed, "I may not know the little things, like your birthday or your favorite color, but I know things that matter."

Belle laughed. "Like what?"

Looking straight into Belle's eyes, he said, "You never give straight answers because you don't trust people easily. You wanna be independent, despite the fact that your parents make enough money to last your family for 10 generations. You're empathetic towards others instead of being the stuck up rich girl." He stood up, never letting go of Belle's gaze of hands, "And I know that you wanna kiss me right now just as badly as I wanna kiss you."

To his surprise, Belle said nothing. Instead, she moved closer to Bradin, who leaned over and did what he'd been thinking about all day: he finally kissed Belle.


	6. Chapter 6

Looking out at the ocean water, Bradin felt a smile creep across his face. The familiar smell of water, the sound of waves crashing against the shore, the feel of the wind on his face, it all gave him a rush. He looked around at the few people out in the water, all whom he knew were true surfers; people who lived for the board and the feeling any surfer got when they rode a wave. This was how he liked it: few people getting in his way, nobody watching his every move, nobody recording every mistake he made. The only thing that would have made everything perfect was if Belle was there, but she wasn't due for a half hour, giving him plenty of time to warm up.

He limped towards the ocean, his right foot still in pain from his adventure the day before, but once he leaped into the cool water, the pain left his mind as he made his way out toward the surf. His favorite thing about surfing was that it helped get his mind off things, but sometimes it was easiest to think out on the water. Sitting on his board, his thoughts raced back to his kiss with Belle the previous day. Remembering the softness of her lips, the silky feel of her hair in his hands, her arms wrapped around his neck and the closeness of their bodies brought another smile to his face. Wanting to top his euphoria, he caught a wave and began to surf.

As he returned to shore after catching a few waves, he saw Belle standing in a yellow wet suit, matching her yellow surf board. She definitely looked even more eye-catching, and Bradin noticed some of the other males eyeing her. Usually this bothered Bradin, but knowing that she was there for him made him feel better.

"Looking good, Bradin!" Belle said with a smile as he approached her.

"Thanks," Bradin replied as he hoped she didn't notice the limp in his walk.

"You sure you can help me with that thing?" Belle asked, pointing to his leg.

Shrugging, Bradin said, "Yeah, surfing helps the pain go away."

Belle nodded. "Spoken like a true surfer."

"You look like a shrimp standing next to that thing," Bradin pointed at her surfboard.

"You should've seen me with my long board," Belle said with a smile, "Imagine me running around with a board twice my size."

Bradin laughed. "I'm sure you looked adorable," he leaned in and gave her a kiss.

"What was that for?" Belle asked slyly when he pulled away.

Bradin shrugged. "Good morning. I missed you. And to make sure it wasn't a dream that I kissed you last night."

Laughing, Belle said, "You were quite awake, I can assure you."

"Yeah, but to make it even more of a reality, we may just have to do it again." Bradin smiled mischievously, leaning in and giving Belle another, longer, kiss. He wrapped his free arm around her waist and pulled her to him so their bellies were touching, and smiled as he felt Belle's free arm wrap around his neck; their boards creating a barrier between them and the rest of the world.

Breaking the kiss, Belle looked up at Bradin and asked, "Are we gonna surf or are we gonna make out?"

"Do I have to choose?" Bradin asked playfully.

"You said you'd help me out with my 360."

"Right," Bradin remembered suddenly. He gave Belle a quick peck on the lips, took her by the hand, and led her out into the ocean.

After going at it for over an hour, Belle managed to make a 180, but landed awkwardly causing her to fall into the water. Feeling tired, she suggested they take a break. Once they reached the shore, Belle dropped her board by her things and lay down on her towel.

"That was fun," she said as she closed her eyes and felt the sun beam upon her face.

Joining Belle on his own towel, Bradin sat down next to her and took a sip out of his water bottle. He looked over at Belle who, even with her eyes closed and covered in a wet suit, looked amazing. The yellow of the suit accented her hair and her tanned skin.

"Nice job out there," Bradin said as he continued to watch her, "it took me a few days to even master a 180."

"I didn't master it," Belle said with her eyes closed, "Didn't you see how I landed?"

"Yeah, but you've almost got it." Bradin assured her.

Belle smiled. "Only because I've got the greatest teacher." She opened her eyes and looked up at Bradin. Or, squinted, more actually, because the sun was beaming into her eyes. She reached up, putting her hand behind Bradin's neck, gently leading his head down to hers until their lips met once again.

The sweet taste of Belle's lips mixed with salt water mingled with Bradin's. Putting the water bottle down, Bradin put both hands on either side of Belle's head and deepened the kiss without a care in the world. It didn't matter to them who saw, all that mattered was this moment, the two of them together on the beach.

Bradin reached one hand up to cup her face, gently biting her bottom lip. Forgetting where they were, why they were there, and leaving the people behind as they silently agreed that they wanted to be together. Kissing Belle was a totally new experience for him. Sure, Bradin had had his fair share of kissing in life, but every time he kissed Belle, he never wanted to stop. Having her so close to him made his heart race faster, his thoughts never left her, his ears ring—

That wasn't his ears.

Breaking the kiss reluctantly, he got up and found the ringing coming from his cell phone in his bag. He pulled it out and read _Aunt Ava_ written on the caller ID. With an apologetic look at Belle, he picked up the phone.

"Hey, Aunt Ava," he said into the receiver, trying to hide his disappointment.

"Bradin!" Ava said cheerfully, "Bad time?" Obviously hearing the disappointment in his voice.

"No, it's okay," he looked over at Belle, who was sitting up and brushing the sand Bradin had unknowingly put on her when he'd touched her face. "What's up?"

"I thought you were coming home for lunch," Ava said as Bradin heard some clinking of dishes in the background.

He'd totally forgotten. His family always made plans for at least one lunch together each week since everyone was so busy, especially him with comps and other stuff.

"You promised Derrick you'd be here." Ava said when Bradin didn't respond.

"I will," Bradin said, "I'll be home in a few minutes."

"You'd better," Ava said playfully, "Love you Bradin."

"Love you, too, Aunt Ava," Bradin hung up the phone and looked back at Belle. "Listen, I really hate to cut our time short, but I've gotta get home. I promised my brother I'd be home for lunch."

Belle smiled at Bradin. "That's so sweet," she said, getting up and taking off her wet suit, revealing the blue swim suit Bradin had first seen her in. "Tell Derrick and Nikki I said hi." She bent down to gather her stuff.

Not wanting to have Belle leave so soon, Bradin got up. "Do you have any plans for lunch?" Bradin asked.

Belle looked at him. "No…" she replied suspiciously.

"Why don't you come over for lunch?"

"I couldn't do that!" Belle exclaimed, "Are you kidding? It sounds like a family thing, I can't intrude!"

"You wouldn't be intruding," Bradin assured, "you already know practically everyone in my family, and besides, Cameron will probably be there, too. Nikki never goes anywhere without him."

Belle laughed. "That's true," she admitted, then sighed. "Only if it's okay with your family."

"Of course it'll be okay," Bradin said, "I'll call my aunt to tell her you're coming."

"Okay, then," Belle said with a smile on her face. "Just let me go wash off and I'll be back." She grabbed her towel and headed off toward the showers.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N**: Once again, I'd like to thank all who have reviewed my story, especially kandykane33 because you have reviewed every chapter! LOL, but I love it. Hope you're enjoying everything so far! This one is for you kandykane33!_

"Is everything set?" Ava asked as she came out of the kitchen, carrying a bowl of salad. She looked at her best friend, Susanna, who was setting out cups on the picnic table.

"Just about," Susanna replied as she stepped back to look at her work. "Beautiful."

"Yeah," Ava said, sarcastically, "It's so hard setting the table."

Susanna rolled her eyes. "I don't understand why you didn't have Nikki and Derrick do it, it'll teach them some responsibility."

Ava laughed. "You're talking about responsibility? If I remember correctly, your parents spoiled you to death."

"Yeah, but I learned to be responsible once I moved out on my own."

"With me," Ava finished for her, "Yeah, sure." Ava placed the salad bowl onto the table. "Bradin called, he's bringing a friend."

"A friend?" Susanna repeated. "I hope it's not one of his surfer friends. Those guys are so rude and—"

"I know," Ava interrupted, "He didn't say. He just asked if he could bring a friend."

"I didn't know Bradin had friends," Nikki said as she walked from the back door with Cameron.

Ava gave Nikki a look of caution. "Nikki, be nice."

"Sorry," Nikki said apologetically.

"Is there anything we can help you with?" Cameron asked.

"Why don't you two get everyone to sit down at the table," Ava suggested. Cameron and Nikki nodded and retreated back into the house.

"Sorry we're late," Bradin said as he guided Belle up the path leading to the back patio, "I got side tracked while surfing." He nudged Belle, who simply laughed.

"No," Ava said, "You're just in time." She looked at Belle and smiled. "Belle! I didn't know you and Bradin were friends."

Belle smiled and shrugged. "Small world," she said and turned to Susanna and said hello.

Gesturing at the table, Ava said, "Well, sit down!" She looked at Susanna. "You forgot the napkins, and I'll grab the drinks."

Susanna followed Ava into the house, leaving Bradin and Belle out on the patio by themselves. Bradin led Belle over to the table, taking hold of her hand.

"Small world," he said, repeating what Belle had said earlier. Belle only smiled. "I'm glad it is," Bradin said, sitting down on the bench, pulling Belle in front of him and taking her other hand in his. "Are you sure your parents won't mind you being here?"

"Please," Belle snorted, "My parents are in Paris, lavishing in éclairs and shopping. Well, my mom's shopping; my dad's lavishing in éclairs and complaining about how he can never take a vacation without people bothering him about work." She made a face. "You'd think he'd learn not to take his lap top and cell phone with him."

It was Bradin's turn to make a face. "They went to Paris without you?"

Belle nodded. "They say it saves them money for my tuition, but I know they just don't want me there, which is pretty stupid since I never see them when they're home, anyway."

"Doesn't that bother you?" Bradin asked.

Belle shrugged. "It used to, but I got used to it. It doesn't matter, anyway," Belle looked down at Bradin, "I'd rather be here than with them."

"Aww," Bradin gushed playfully, "That's so sweet."

"Okay," Johnny shouted as the others walked out onto the patio, "Places everyone! I am starving!"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Need help?" Belle asked as she brought in some dirty dishes from the patio into the kitchen where she found Nikki, Susanna and Ava.

"The more, the merrier," Ava said, taking the dishes from Belle and putting them into the sink. "Although, there isn't much to do, we're just gonna pop the dishes into the dishwasher."

"But you should stay and chat with us!" Nikki said from her seat behind the counter.

"Okay," Belle said, walking back into the kitchen and sitting next to Nikki.

"So," Nikki started, "I didn't know you and Bradin knew each other."

Belle shrugged. "We haven't known each other that long."

"I tell you," Susanna said, leaning onto the counter, "I'd kill to be in a relationship right now." She looked over at Nikki and Ava. "You two are so lucky."

"Yes," Ava said, putting an arm around Nikki, "we are." She looked up at Susanna. "Your time will come."

"Not soon enough," Susanna got up again and Belle laughed, causing Susanna to look at Belle. "You two aren't the only ones in a relationship," she smiled, "right Belle?"

Susanna's statement caught Belle by surprise. "What?"

"Oh," Ava said, "don't pretend like you don't know what we're talking about. I see the way Bradin looks at you."

"Like I said," Belle said, "I haven't known him that long."

"Please," Nikki said, turning to face Belle, "he's totally into you."

Belle shrugged.

"Girl," Susanna said, "are you saying there's nothing going on between you and Bradin?"

"We're friends," Belle said.

Ava laughed. "Friends don't hold hands with each other. Not Bradin, in any case." Seeing the look on Belle's face, Ava added, "Yeah, we saw you out on the patio."

Belle sighed. "Honestly, I don't know what we are."

And she didn't. True, she and Bradin had made out a bit, but they never actually said they were officially dating or anything. But then again, Bradin had said he wanted them to be together or at least give them a try.

"Maybe you should talk to him about it," Nikki suggested.

Belle thought about this. "I'll take it into consideration," Belle said playfully to Nikki.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You and Belle, huh?" Cameron said to Bradin as the guys sat outside after the girls cleaned up.

Bradin smiled. "Yeah," he replied. After spending the last two days with Belle, Bradin felt the need to tell the world about how he felt about her. Trying to suppress these feelings, Bradin looked at the others and said, "I really like her."

"So I've heard," Johnny said.

"I mean it," Bradin said firmly. "I really do like her."

The others shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Jay sat forward. "Well," he said, "you have to admit, Bradin, you have a reputation with the ladies. Not that it's a bad thing, of course," he added quickly.

"But it is a bad thing," Bradin said, "especially with Belle." He told the others about her confrontation yesterday about not wanting to be another one of his flings. "And I'll admit," He continued, "I have had a few… 'relationships'-"

"No arguments there," Johnny said.

"-but," Bradin continued, ignoring Johnny, "it's different with Belle. Everything's different."

"She's hot, Bradin," Cameron said, "No denying that."

"Are you joking?" Bradin asked in disbelief. "She's gorgeous!" Bradin looked at him. "And Ii don't appreciate the way you're checking out my girlfriend. You're dating my sister."

"You're one to talk," Derrick said, bored, with his chin resting in his hands, "You're dating so many girls, I don't even know their names anymore."

"Ouch," Johnny said, looking at Bradin, "That's harsh,"

Bradin sighed. "Okay," he said, "so I've had a history with girls, I know, everyone seems to keep reminding me about that."

"Because it's what you've been known for, Bradin," Cameron said, "Well, that and surfing. But if you want people to take you seriously, you've gotta prove them wrong."

"Don't worry," Bradin said, getting up, "I will." He left the others and walked into the kitchen, where he found Belle with the other girls, laughing together.

"Hey!" Ava said when she saw him walk in, "What's up?"

"I just came to check on what you girls were doing," Bradin said. He looked over at Belle and smiled. "Don't you have to go to work soon?"

Belle looked down at her watch. "Yeah," she replied, getting up, "I should really get going." She smiled at the others.

"It was nice seeing you again, Belle!" Susanna called.

"You all, too," Belle replied, walking over to Bradin. They walked back out onto the patio to say good-bye to the guys.

"I'll take you to work," Johnny said, getting up, "I've gotta get back, anyway."

"Great!" Belle said.

"Just give me a minute," Johnny got up and walked into the kitchen.

Nikki ran outside and grabbed Cameron by the arm. "Cam, c'mon!" She shouted as she dragged him away, "The movie starts in 20 minutes!" Cameron was gone before he could say good-bye to anyone.

Jay rolled his eyes and got up. "I've gotta go do some inventory," Jay said, "Wanna come by and help, Bradin?"

"I'll come by later," Bradin said, wanting to say good-bye to Belle in private. Taking the hint, Jay said his quick good-bye and disappeared into the house.

Derrick, still bored, got up and said, "I'm just gonna go," and walked into the house.

Belle laughed. "He's so cute," she said, looking at Bradin.

"It runs in the family," Bradin replied, pulling her closer to him. He felt her arms wrap around his waist and smiled.

"So it does," Belle said, returning Bradin's smile. Pausing, her thoughts raced back to her conversation with Ava, Susanna and Nikki in the kitchen. Holding him in her arms felt so right, but it bothered her not knowing whether they were just friends with benefits or actually together.

"Bradin?"

"Yeah?" Bradin said, still holding Belle in his arms.

Belle hesitated, unsure of how to say what she wanted to say. She took a deep breath, then asked, "What am I to you?"

Her question took Bradin by surprise. "What do you mean?"

Moving out from his embrace, Belle turned away from Bradin. "I mean, am I your friend or… more than that?"

Finally realizing what was bothering her, Bradin laughed. "You're my girlfriend," he replied, "I thought we settled that."

Glad with what she heard, Belle turned and smiled at Bradin. "Ii just wanted to make sure we were on the same page."

Bradin walked over to Belle and wrapped his arms around her as she slipped her arms back around his waist. "You'd better be my girlfriend," he said in her ear, "I already told the guys you were. I couldn't imagine what they'd say if I went back to them saying you weren't."

Belle laughed. "Oh, the horror," she said sarcastically.

After thinking for a moment, Bradin said, "Did my aunt and them get to you?"

Belle shook her head. "Of course not. They just asked me whether we were officially together or not, and I didn't know what to say."

Bradin smiled as he held Belle tightly. "Well, now you know."


	8. Chapter 8

Two months passed by in what seemed like a flash. Bradin had gone back to surfing comps while Belle waited tables. Since Bradin was busy with comps all over California and Belle was given extra shifts at Mona's Sandbar, they weren't able to see as much of each other as they'd like, only a few times a week. The few times they saw each other, their time was limited due to Bradin's training schedule or Belle's break time.

Bradin had been up to the northern part of California for surf camp (or "surf training" as Bradin put it) for the past two weeks and had just gotten back the day before. Belle knew he'd be over at Beyond the Blue helping Jay around, so she decided to surprise him, but before she did, she had to make a stop.

Checking her watch, Belle walked into the Tiki Squeeze where she saw Cameron once again behind the counter taking orders while Nikki sat at a nearby table with her best friend, Amber, both reading fashion magazines.

"Hey, guys," Belle said walking over to the counter.

"Belle!" Amber exclaimed, looking up from her magazine, "What's up?"

"Not much," Belle looked at Amber who was in her uniform. "Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"I am!"

"She says she's attracting customers," Cameron said with a smirk as he handed a customer back his change. Amber tossed him a nasty look.

"I haven't seen you for a while, Belle," Nikki said, putting her magazine down onto the table, "I'm assuming you've been busy?"

Belle nodded. "I've picked up some extra shifts at Mona's," she explained, "Johnny's short on staff. It seems everyone's decided this month's the month to go on vacation."

"The usual?" Cameron asked as he began to toss ingredients into the blender.

Belle nodded. "But I also want two triple berry smoothies," she added, "I'm gonna stop over by Jay's shop."

"What for?" Cameron asked.

Nikki laughed. "Why else?" she teased, "Bradin came back from surf camp yesterday and he's helping Jay run the store."

Blushing, Belle said, "I could be going to say hi to Jay,"

"Oh, I'm sure that's what she's doing," Amber said to Nikki, "with three drinks."

"How do you know one isn't for Johnny?" Belle retorted.

"Is it?" Nikki asked, disbelievingly.

"No," Belle said quietly, and Nikki and Amber laughed. "I haven't seen him in over two weeks, what do you expect?"

Amber sighed. "The excitement of love."

"Something you should know about," Cameron said, pouring the drinks into cups, "you're in love almost all the time."

Belle laughed as Amber once again threw him another nasty glare. Nikki just rolled her eyes and looked back up at Belle.

"Isn't that hard for you?" Nikki asked, "Not being able to see your boyfriend for weeks?"

Yes, it was hard; but quite honestly, it made her more excited to see Bradin whenever he came back. It made their time together even more special when they knew they didn't have long. And it wasn't as though Bradin never called her; he did whenever he had the chance. Belle just smiled at the others and shrugged.

"Of course," Belle replied, "but I'm working so much, time goes by pretty fast."

That was a lie. Whenever she pulled double shifts, all Belle could do was think about how much easier she could make it through the nights of drunk people and crude pick up lines if Bradin was sitting there.

"Here's your usual," Cameron said, placing a cup on the countertop, "and two triple berry smoothies,"

"Thanks," Belle said, pulling out her wallet and handing Cameron a twenty. He took it from her and handed her back her change. ""I'll see you guys later," she said as she walked out of the store. Crossing the sidewalk, she entered Beyond the Blue, where she found Bradin leaning against the counter as he tallied something up.

"Oh my God!" Belle said, doing a perfect impression of a stereotypical clueless blonde, "I heard that there's like, this super fine blonde surfer who works here, and like, I was wondering if, like, maybe you knew who he was?"

Bradin looked up and smiled. He was dead tired, but seeing Belle was well worth waking up for. "Is he about this tall," Bradin put his hand up by his head, "Incredibly good looking?"

"Exactly," Belle smiled, putting the drinks on the counter as she neared him, "You know him?"

Bradin didn't reply, but leaned over the counter to kiss her.

"Why thank you for the compliment, Belle," Jay said as he walked out from the back room with a clip board in hand. "I love you so much."

Bradin paused, his lips grazing Belle's. He opened his eyes and looked at Belle, who looked back at him and backed away with a smile on her face.

"Well," Belle said, standing straight up, "I thought I'd drop by and leave you a little refreshment to get you through your day."

"I don't need a drink to get me through my day," Bradin said softly looking at Belle, who smiled at him.

"Not fair," Jay said, looking up from his clip board, "I thought you came here to see me!"

"I brought you a drink, too," Belle said, turning towards him.

Jay, whose spirits brightened at the sound of this, sped over to where Belle stood and grabbed a drink. Taking a sip, he turned to Belle and said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He grabbed Belle and gave her a hug. "Did I mention I love you?"

"Hey," Bradin said defensively, pushing Jay away from his girlfriend, "Steady there."

Laughing, Jay backed away. "Okay, okay," he turned and walked back into the back room.

Belle laughed and shook her head, turning her attention back to Bradin. "So how was surf camp?" she asked.

"It wasn't surf camp," Bradin corrected, "it was surf training."

"Okay, how was 'surf training'?" Belle quoted with her fingers.

Bradin laughed and put her hands down. "It was tough. One of the toughest training camps I've ever been to."

"So you admit its camp?" Belle teased. Bradin gave Belle a look. "Go on," she said.

"They woke you up at about 4 o'clock in the morning, before God's even up, breakfast at 5, in the water by 6 and they work you until noon. Then you get about an hour for lunch, and it's to the gym where we worked out for about 2 hours, back out into the water until 6, dinner at 7, and lights out by 9." Bradin sighed. "I am so tired."

Belle pouted her bottom lip. "You poor baby," she ran her hand through his hair, "I was hoping we could spend some time together, but since you need your sleep-"

"No, I'm fine!" Bradin said quickly, knowing their time together was limited enough and he didn't want to lose any more.

"You need sleep, Bradin," Belle said, "I don't mind."

Bradin saw a sense of stubbornness in Belle's face and ceased to argue any more. He leaned over and touched her face. "How've you been since I left?"

Belle shrugged. "Johnny and I have been pulling double shifts almost every day thanks to this sudden need everyone has for vacations. And it's been hard not being able to see you," she touched Bradin's arm and smiled.

"Aww," Bradin gushed, "I missed you, too,"

Looking up at the clock on the wall, Belle said, "I'd better get to work. Breakfast rush starts in 10 minutes," she looked at Bradin, "Come by later?"

"You know it," Bradin said with a wink, "Can't pass up a chance to see my beautiful girlfriend."

Belle laughed and leaned over the counter and gave Bradin a kiss. Feeling as though it'd been too long since he'd last seen Belle, he moved as close as the counter top allowed him to and took all he'd missed out on for the past few weeks.

Jay walked back out from the back and saw a display he had not put out for anyone to see. "Hey!" he shouted, "stop that! You're driving away all the customers!"

"If anything," Bradin said with a hint of annoyance after he broke from Belle, "we're attracting more customers."

Laughing at the memory of Amber saying something similar to what Bradin had just said, Belle grabbed her smoothie and left with a wave.


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Once again, thanks you to everyone who has reviewed! The constructive criticism is really helpful with making the story better, and thanks for all the compliments!_

Looking out upon the streets of Playa Linda, Erika smiled at the sight of the town she grew up in. Nothing much had changed since she had last been there over a year ago.

Unsure of whether she was making the right choice returning to Playa Linda, she started down the crowded sidewalk, not giving herself the chance to go back. Coming back was the only way she could prove to herself that she was beyond her past; coming back proved that she was over Bradin Westerly.

But, of course, that could only be done if she actually saw him. As she continued walking down the strip, she couldn't help wondering whether he had changed, and whether she'd be okay with it. Shaking that feeling off, her thoughts went to Jay, the guy she'd always thought she was meant to be with until she met Bradin. It wasn't as though she didn't care for him, they still remained good friends, but she didn't know what to expect when she saw him again. If she saw him again. Jay had been upset when he found out she had taken off without an explanation and she never heard from him since, partly because she knew any ties with Bradin would never allow her to move on with her life.

Continuing her walk, she passed a group of giggling girls, reminding Erika that she was alone. Abandoning all her friends who begged her to stay, Erika not only cut ties with people connected to Bradin, she cut ties with everyone in Playa Linda. She didn't know if any of them would still talk to her. Nobody could understand her need to get away, nor did she expect them to.

Erika walked past the coffee shop she used to spend so much time in, chatting and giggling with her friends, not to mention where she and Bradin used to go after surf lessons. The aroma of exotic coffee beans and rich cream gave her taste buds a chill. It had been so long since she last had a chilled caramel latte, and that seemed to be what she needed right now.

Entering the shop, Erika saw that they had remodeled while she was gone, not to mention the workers she had known for so long were all gone. Walking up to the counter, Erika put in her order.

"$4.75," the clerk said from behind the counter.

Erika never used to have to pay full price for her drinks, but seeing as nobody here knew her she grudgingly handed over $5 and received her cold drink. She sat down at the nearest table and studied the new look of the shop. The walls that had once been pale blue had been painted over with a darker shade and various items added to make it look more like a coffee shop. She was glad to see that the tables and chairs remained the same, but the stage that once brought in crowds to be entertained was gone; in its place was a bigger one with fancier equipment.

As Erika began to ponder how much else had changed, she heard a voice call from behind her.

"Erika?"

Happy to know that someone she knew had found her, Erika turned around to find Jay standing there with a look of bewilderment on his face.

Unsure of what to say, Erika opened her mouth and let whatever out. "Hm—umm, yeah."

Not exactly the way she wanted to start a conversation, but went with it anyway. "Jay!"

Jay stood there with his mouth opening and closing like a fish. He was in an obvious state of shock. "What are you doing here?"

His voice was high, and Erika fought back a laugh. "That's it?" she asked, "no 'hey Erika', or 'it's nice to see you again, Erika'?"

"I'd rather know why you came back," Jay said, his voice returning to its normal pitch.

"I have my reasons," Erika smiled. She was glad to see that Jay still looked the same as he had when she left. His blonde hair was longer than she was used to, not to mention he had added a few more scars to his collection on his body, but otherwise he looked the same. Her gaze returning to Jay's, she said, "Jay, you know why I had to leave. I know it was hard for you, but it was hard for me, too."

Jay stared at Erika for what seemed like an eternity, and then walked over and sat across the table from her. "I'm sorry," Jay said, "I just can't believe you came back,"

"Like I said," Erika replied, "I have my reasons." She took a deep breath. "But I really missed you, Jay," she studied his face for a moment. "How've you been?"

"Good," Jay replied. He looked up at Erika. "You're not really here to see me, are you?"

"Of course I am!" Erika replied. She touched his arm. "Jay, we've been through so much together, what makes you think I wouldn't want to see you?"

Jay sighed. "What about Bradin?"

Erika paused. There was no denying she wanted to see Bradin. Hell, her heart ached to see him again, but sitting there with Jay, knowing how hurt he'd been when she and Bradin had first hooked up, Erika didn't have the heart to tell him how badly she wanted to see Bradin. Instead, she said, "I'll leave that up to fate," she took a sip of her latte and then looked back at Jay. "But if you could just not tell him that I'm back, that'd be great."

Confused, Jay asked, "Why?"

_Because I'm not sure I'm ready,_ Erika thought to herself, but she wasn't going to tell that to Jay. "Again, I'll leave that up to fate," she smiled at him, "So, are you still running the surf shop?"

"Of course I am," Jay replied, "I love it there,"

Shrugging, Erika said, "I thought that since Bradin's career had taken off you'd have given it up."

Jay laughed. "That shop's given me everything that I've got. I'm not about to give it up. Jay Robertson never gives anything up."

Erika smiled to herself, enjoying the fact that Jay's ego was still as high as it had ever been. Of course, it was that ego that had caused their relationship to go bad, but she'd been able to accept Jay how he was, even if they couldn't be together because of it.

Realizing how much she'd missed Jay, Erika felt a pang of guilt. She'd never told him why she had left Playa Linda or why she had decided to come back, and yet he never seemed to really push the question why, and she was thankful for that.

Erika sat up in her seat, watching Jay as he played with his coffee cup between his hands. Feeling as though she owed something to Jay, she said, "I really did miss you, Jay."

Hearing the sincerity in her voice, Jay looked up at Erika and smiled. "I really missed you, too, Erika."


	10. Chapter 10

"Westerly!"

Bradin turned around from the box of wet suits he was sorting to find Bryce walking into the store.

"Hey, Bryce," Bradin said, giving Bryce the usual handshake, "what are you doing here?"

Bryce shrugged. "I just wanted to see what you were up to." He paused. "And to see if that nice piece of ass that you somehow got to be your girlfriend was here."

"Don't talk about Belle like that," Bradin warned.

Laughing, Bryce said, "I don't ever remember Bradin Westerly getting protective about something like a girl. Especially a girl like Belle." Bryce leaned onto the counter. "Have you tapped her yet?"

Bradin felt anger boil inside of him as he suppressed the desire to punch Bryce in the face. Instead, he just shook his head as he went back to sorting wet suits.

Bryce let out a huge laugh. "You haven't? Dude, I thought you were some kinda pimp or something, but you haven't even tapped Belle? What's the hold up?

"Why are you here, Bryce?" Bradin asked, ignoring his questions, "'Cause if you're just here to bug me, go away, I've got work to do."

"In this dinky store?" Bryce looked around in disapproval. He shook his head and looked back at Bradin. "I don't know why you don't just ditch this place. I mean, you make more in a week than this place does in a lifetime."

"Jay likes it here," Bradin said defensively, "and so do I. It's a good place for people to get their equipment."

Bryce looked at Bradin blankly, and then sighed. "Anyway, we're throwing a mad party on the beach by the house, and Tyler's invited some major babes. If you're not busy tonight, you'd better be there." Bryce began to walk away, but suddenly stopped and turned back to Bradin. "And bring Belle. We'll introduce her to the others. If one of us is lucky, we might even get some tonight." Bryce laughed as he left.

Bradin let out an angry breath and continued to sort out wet suits. Bryce didn't seem to understand that Bradin's attraction to Belle wasn't all about sex. True, in his past relationships he tended to push for sex a little much, but for some reason he was willing to wait with Belle. They hadn't actually talked about it, unless you counted their minor talk when Belle had asked if Bradin was only sexually attracted to her.

But of course with their hectic schedules they weren't really able to talk about it, much less do it. They barely had enough time to get a kiss in so they could forget about having enough time for anything longer.

"Hey, Bradin," Jay said, entering the shop, causing Bradin to stop thinking, "anyone come in while I was gone?"

"No," Bradin replied, checking tags on the suits, "well, except Bryce."

"What did he want?" Jay walked into the back room.

"He wanted to invite me to his house."

"For what?" Jay called.

Bradin paused. Jay may have been his coach and best friend, but he was still friends with Bradin's aunt, and tended to be protective sometimes.

"Just to hang out," Bradin replied. He hated lying to Jay, but if he knew the kinds of parties that Bryce threw, Jay would have no choice but to tell Ava.

"Don't do anything stupid," Jay said walking back out into the store, "I know Bryce is your friend and everything, but you'd better be careful."

Bradin nodded, and then looked up at Jay. "I thought you were coming right back after you got your coffee, what took you so long?"

"I got sidetracked," Jay said, "Umm… something happened to one of their machines."

"Girl?" he asked.

Jay shrugged. "Something like that." He patted Bradin's shoulder as he moved past him.

Something about the way Jay was moving told Bradin that he was lying, but then again, Bradin had just lied to him, so he let it go.

"Is Belle going with you tonight?" Jay asked as he grabbed his clipboard from next to the cash register.

Bradin shrugged. "She doesn't really like Bryce."

"I don't blame her,"

"He's not that bad," Bradin said, feeling the need to defend Bryce, although after the conversation with him earlier made a part of him agree with Jay and Belle, "Once you get to know him," he added as an afterthought.

Jay nodded. "So," he said, clearly changing the subject, "that was quite a display you had this morning. What's up with you and Belle?"

Bradin smiled. "I don't know… but I like it."

"Can I ask you a question?"

Jay rarely asked if he could ask a question unless it was really important; he usually just asked you. Bradin nodded.

"Have you and Belle had sex?"

Laughing, Bradin answered, "Yeah, in the 10 minutes a day we get together, we're having sex."

"It's possible."

Bradin looked at Jay in disbelief. "No," he admitted, "we haven't had sex yet. And what's with everyone and asking me about that?"

Jay shrugged. "I just didn't know you were one to wait."

"I know," Bradin admitted, "but… like I said, it's different with Belle." He smiled again, then went back to the suits.

Jay studied Bradin's expression and smiled. "Uh-oh…"

"What?" Bradin asked as he looked back at Jay, who was now chuckling.

"I think you've caught the bug," Jay said.

More confused than ever, Bradin asked, "What bug?"

"The love bug," Jay sang, then returned to his normal voice, still chuckling, "You're in love with Belle."

Dumbfounded, Bradin replied before he could think, "No, I'm not,"

"Yes you are," Jay teased, "that's why you got all offended when I told her I loved her this morning,"

Remembering, Bradin felt his face grow hot. "We haven't been together that long, there's no way—"

"Love comes when it comes," Jay interrupted, "it has no time limit."

Unsure of what to say, Bradin went back to sorting the wet suits, but Jay's words repeated themselves in his mind.

_Love comes when it comes…_


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: I actually got 3 chapters up in one day! I'm really proud of myself! But I did this for those of you reading because I will not be able to get onto the computer until Monday, so hopefully this will last you through the weekend! Thanks for reviewing, hope you're still enjoying it!_

Making her way past drunken guys trying to out-stupid the next and couples who were on the verge of starring in their own live porno movie, Belle sat down on the trunk of a fallen tree by the fire, feeling the vibrations from the stereo in the house on her butt. The ocean breeze was chilly as it blew across her face. Shivering, she pulled Bradin's sweater he had given her earlier tightly around herself to absorb more body heat. When they had arrived, Bradin had disappeared with Bryce and the other surfers on their team. She had originally not wanted to come due the fact that she didn't know anyone and she didn't like Bryce, but after some pleading from Bradin, Belle finally agreed, causing him to smother her in kisses. Had she known Bradin would leave her alone for almost the entire night, she definitely wouldn't have agreed. Nobody had even bothered to say hi; in fact, nobody seemed to notice her existence. One guy actually managed to some how sit on her, claiming not to have seen her. Belle wanted nothing more than to leave right then and there, but seeing as Bradin missed hanging out with his friends, she decided to stay. Not that she had much choice, Bradin had driven the both of them there and she didn't trust anyone else to take her home.

Every now and then the wind would blow some warmth from the fire in her direction. She pulled the sweater tighter around her, wishing it were Bradin instead of just his sweater. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Bryce and a guy with dark hair she didn't know walking in her direction. Pretending to be interested in the dancing flames of the fire, Belle prayed that they'd leave her alone as she turned away from them, but to her disappointment, they'd stopped right in front of her.

"Hi, Belle," Bryce said with a big smile on his face. He stuck his hand out. "Remember me? Bryce."

She remembered all too well, especially his advice he'd given Bradin on how to get laid easily. "Yeah," Belle replied, ignoring his hand, "I'd shake your hand but… I don't want to."

"Ouch," Bryce said with a smirk on his face, "I just came here to introduce you to someone," he pulled his friend over who just blushed. "Belle, this is Damien. He's been wanting to meet you all night."

Not knowing why Bryce was telling her this, Belle just smiled at the guy name Damien, then turned back to Bryce. "Where's Bradin?" she asked.

Bryce smiled slyly. "He's a little busy right now," Bryce replied with a wink, "but I'll let him know you're looking for him." He looked back and forth between Belle and Damien. "Well, I'll let you two get to know each other…" Bryce retreated and gave a smile to Damien before disappearing into the house.

Belle shook her head and looked down at the fire hoping Damien would just go away, but instead, he sat down next to her on the tree trunk.

"So…" Damien began but stopped when Belle held up a hand.

"No offense," she said with annoyance in her voice, "but I have a boyfriend and I'm really not interested."

"A boyfriend who left his girlfriend and spent the entire night flirting with other girls?" Damien asked, pointing over at something.

Belle turned to look in the direction of Damien's finger and saw Bradin laughing with a girl who was obviously willing to offer herself to him had he asked. She felt a rush of paranoia. Had Bradin left her to flirt around with other girls? She tried to shake it off, but Bryce had said he was busy, didn't he? Once she realized what she'd just thought, she laughed. Since when did she believe what Bryce said? He'd made his intentions with girls quite clear, and Belle was quite sure Bryce was the type to sabotage others to get what he wanted.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Damien asked Belle.

His voice caused her to jump. She'd forgotten that he was still sitting next to her. "No thanks," Belle said, getting up, "I'll get it myself." Thinking she'd found an excuse to get away from not only Bradin and the eager girl, but from Damien, she began to walk away, but the found Damien though she'd wanted him to follow her because he'd gotten up and was trailing behind her. Pretending not to notice, she made her way over to the punch bowl and picked up the ladle, but Damien took it out of her hand.

"I'll get it for you," he said, pouring the punch into a cup and handing it to Belle.

She was positive the punch was spiked with alcohol, but Belle felt the need to let loose for a bit. Bradin seemed to be enjoying himself, why shouldn't she? She wasn't an irresponsible drinker, hell, her alcohol intake wasn't much, so when she attempted to chug the punch, she coughed after the first sip, not realizing how strong the alcohol was.

"Not a drinker, huh?" Damien asked as he jumped out of the way to avoid getting sprayed.

"What the hell is in that thing?" Belle asked as she wiped at her mouth.

"Vodka," Damien replied, looking at Belle strangely. "Don't tell me you didn't know the punch was spiked."

"I knew," Belle said defensively. She took a smaller sip from her cup and felt the burn as it went down her throat.

Damien smiled at Belle. "Feel better?"

Belle didn't reply. Instead, she looked back over at Bradin who was standing a little too close to the girl for her likings. She took another sip of her punch.

"I can't believe him," Belle said, more to her cup than to Damien, "if he didn't want me to come, why'd he beg me to, then?"

Damien shrugged.

"I mean," Belle continued, glaring at the girl who was now touching Bradin's arm, "seriously, I told him I didn't wanna be another one of his flings, and he told me I wasn't. So what's this all about then?" Belle looked at Damien, who just smiled. "It's Damien, right?" Belle asked, her head feeling light and buzzed.

Damien nodded.

"You surf?"

He nodded. "I'm in Wave Crashers with Bryce and Bradin."

Belle nodded. "Cool," she said as warmth began to flow through her veins. Feeling as though something was wrong, Belle put her cup on the table. "I think I'm done with that," she said to Damien.

"You only had two sips," Damien said.

Belle shrugged. "I'm not a heavy drinker," she said, looking back at Bradin for a moment, and returned to Damien. "'Wanna go sit down?"

Damien nodded and they returned to the tree trunk outside. Belle, not feeling quite like herself, sat facing away from Bradin and began talking to Damien about nothing she really wanted to know.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Belle asked.

Damien shook his head. "I'm kind of a shy person," he said, looking down at the ground, in case you didn't notice…"

"I noticed," Belle assured him, "you know, I'm not that bitchy. You can talk to me." She looked at Damien for a while. "We should find you a girlfriend. What do you do for fun?"

Damien shrugged. "Skateboard."

"That's always fun," Belle sighed, "Skateboarding is like surfing on wheels. Do you like reading?" Not waiting for a reply, Belle said, "I like reading. It's like an adventure when you need one. Or romance when you want it. Or a friend when you don't have any." She suddenly felt really drowsy, so Belle stood up to wake herself up. "Do you run? Running's fun. It's healthy for you, too. Except I'm really short, so I'm not that great of a runner." She wobbled as she tried to take a step, so Belle grabbed onto Damien.

"Maybe I should get you out of here," Damien said, grasping onto Belle.

Belle's vision began to blur, causing terror to build up inside of her. She knew something had been wrong when she first drank her punch but blew it off. Trying to stand up on her own, she pushed Damien off her, but his grasp just tightened.

"Why don't I take you home?" Damien asked, trying to steady Belle, but her knees buckled, causing her to fall down as Damien desperately held onto her.

"No!" Belle said, trying to stand up. She tried to pry herself from Damien's claws, but he just kept gripping her tighter and tighter.

"Don't fight and I won't hurt you," Damien said, his voice changing from shy and innocent to dark and scary. Belle tried to open her mouth to say something, but nothing came out; instead she felt herself slipping away, but fought to stay conscious. Letting her guard down had landed her in a position she'd tried so hard to keep out of, and she was not going to be raped if she could help it. Gathering all the strength she could muster, Belle shoved Damien hard, causing him to fall back. She tried to run, but once again, her legs gave out. Belle landed on her back in the sand, knocking the breath out of her. Feeling the drug's effect taking full control, Belle felt Damien toss her over his shoulders and saw him walk into the house. He kicked open a bedroom door and shut it behind him once they were in. Damien tossed her onto the bed, and as she landed, she finally blacked out.


	12. Chapter 12

Bradin sat with his head in his hands as he waited for information on Belle's condition. After Belle seemed to have disappeared into thin air, he had a feeling something was wrong. Knowing Belle wasn't very trusting, he knew she hadn't gone home. But he had seen her talking to some guy he'd never seen before, and by the looks of him, he was only interested in getting Belle into bed. He'd had some bad instincts about that guy, but blew it off, thinking the green-eyed monster was getting the best of him. It wasn't until his friend Jenna had told him she'd seen that guy carry Belle into the house.

Rushing into the house, he'd searched every room possible and came across a few that were occupied, none of them being Belle. As he reached Bryce's bedroom, Bryce had grabbed him by the shoulders and warned Bradin not to go in because he wouldn't like what he was about to see. Taking the hint, Bradin tried to open the door, but found that it was locked. After attempting to knock it down, Bradin told Bryce to unlock the bedroom. Bryce refused, and continued to try to talk Bradin into going back to the party. It wasn't until Bradin threatened to call the cops did Bryce finally unlock the bedroom door, where Bradin found his girlfriend unconscious with the hoodie he'd given her unzipped, her shirt unbuttoned exposing her bra, and a shirtless guy on top of her. Words were exchanged, punches were thrown, and Bradin left with Belle over his shoulder. Once he'd gotten Belle into his car, he drove her to the hospital to make sure she was okay. The nurses took her in, leaving Bradin in the waiting room. He'd tried to call Belle's parents, but they weren't home nor were they at the office, so, not knowing what else to do, Bradin called his aunt.

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Ava, Johnny, Susanna and Jay sat on the picnic table outside with their margaritas in hand; glad to have an evening to themselves. The kids had all gone out with their friends, and it wasn't as though they didn't love the kids to death, but it was nice to have a night where they could talk about anything without worrying that one of the kids might have overheard.

"Remember that night Jay got so wasted?" Susanna said, trying to hold back a laugh, "He thought he could fly, so he jumped off the balcony into Leslie Cooper's pool."

The others laughed as Jay blushed and mumbled something about not being the only one who thought he could fly.

"It's been too long since we've had a night to ourselves," Ava said, taking a sip of her margarita.

"I agree," Johnny said, pulling Ava closer to him and kissed her cheek.

"Well," Susanna said, "thanks for including the rest of us in that."

"I meant all of us," Ava said, smiling at the others. "Like how things were before..." she trailed off.

"Before we inherited three bundles of joy," Susanna finished for her, "Yeah…"

Just then the phone rang. Nobody made a move to answer it until Ava sighed and got up.

"Don't you all rush to get it," she said sarcastically and went into the kitchen. She answered it on the fifth ring. "Hello?"

"Aunt Ava!" Bradin shouted frantically.

"Bradin?" Noticing the fear in Bradin's voice, Ava began to worry. The last time she'd received a phone call from Bradin like this, he'd told her his parents had been killed when the river they'd been trying to keep from flooding broke through. "Bradin, what's wrong?"

"Aunt Ava," Bradin panted, "I'm at the hospital."

The blood drained from Ava's face. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"It's Belle!" Bradin said, ignoring her question, "Something happened to her tonight, I don't know, but—"

"We'll be right there!" Ava said. After getting information from Bradin, she hung up the phone and walked back out to the picnic table where her friends looked at her with concerned faces.

"What happened?" Jay asked. Ava explained the situation to the others.

"We've gotta get to the hospital," Ava said, "Bradin sounds like he needs someone there."

"I'll stay and wait for Nikki," Susanna said.

Johnny nodded. "I'll stay, too," he looked up at Ava, "You and Jay go on ahead; we'll come by as soon as Nikki gets here."

Jay got up and headed out the door with Ava.

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Lost in thought, Bradin didn't even notice when Ava and Jay had arrived. He'd gotten up and hugged both of them, telling them about what happened to Belle and explaining how he couldn't get a hold of her parents.

"I'm glad you called," Ava said as she sat down next to Bradin. She studied her nephew for a moment. "Are you okay?"

Bradin shook his head. "It's my fault," he said, "I shouldn't have left her alone."

Ava shook her head. "Belle's capable of making her own decisions, Bradin. This just… happened to be a bad one."

"Someone slipped something in her drink, Aunt Ava," Bradin said, "She didn't have a choice."

"Good thing you were there, then," Ava put her arm around Bradin and hugged him once more. "Why don't you go home, get some rest?"

"I'm not going home." Bradin said firmly. "I left Belle once tonight, I'm not gonna leave her again."

"Xiong, Belle." A female nurse said, entering the room with a clipboard in hand. Ava and Bradin got up to join Jay.

"She's with us," Jay said, putting his arm around Ava and Bradin.

The nurse gave them a strange look, then looked back at her clipboard. "The drug that was slipped into her drink was a strong dosage, so she'll be knocked out for a few hours, but she'll be okay."

Bradin gave a sigh of relief and sat back down. He looked up at the nurse. "Can I go see her now?" He asked.

"Only family now," the nurse said as she looked between the three of them. "Are any of you family?"

"We couldn't get a hold of her parents," Ava explained, "but Belle's practically a part of our family."

"I'm sorry," the nurse said, truly looking like she was, "but that's policy. Visiting hour is at 9 tomorrow morning."

Bradin jumped up, determined to see Belle, and said, "I'm her fiancé."

The nurse gave him a strange look, but she wasn't the only one. Jay and Ava had turned to look at him, too.

"Aren't you a little young to be getting married?" The nurse asked.

"Can I see my fiancé?" Bradin asked, ignoring her question.

The nurse obviously knew Bradin was lying, but seeing the determination in his eyes, she sighed. "Come with me,"


	13. Chapter 13

_**Author's Note:** I apologize this chapter took a while for me to post but the disk I used to transfer my chapters from my laptop (I use my laptop to write because it's portable!) onto my computer wouldn't work, so I had to re-type everything, and it looks like I'll have to do that for the rest of the story! So it may take me a little longer to get everything up! Never015X, I don't know how many chapters I'll have, I'm kinda writing as it goes! Hope that doesn't bother anybody! Anyway, thanks for the great reviews!_

Jay shifted uncomfortably as he tried to sleep in his chair. Unable to go into Belle's hospital room due to the "family only" rule, he waited outside for news from her "fiancé" Bradin. Ava had been really tired, so Jay talked her into going home while he waited for Bradin and Belle. Truthfully, he wanted to talk to Bradin alone. Bradin had never lied to him before, and Jay couldn't understand why he did. They were the best of friends; he thought Bradin knew he could trust him with anything. Of course, Jay wasn't one to talk since he promised Erika he wouldn't tell Bradin she was back, but this was different. Had Jay known Bradin had going to a party and Ava found out, Jay would be in big trouble. That was the problem with being best friends with your friend's nephew.

Giving up on a good-night's sleep, Jay got up and bought himself a cup of coffee out of the nearby vending machine. Walking back to his seat, he sat down and watched the others in the waiting room, all whom seemed to be asleep.

"Hey, man," Bradin said walking down the hall and sitting next to Jay, "thanks for coming, Jay,"

"No problem," Jay replied, scooting over to give Bradin more room on the couch. He took a sip of his coffee and looked at Bradin. "How are you doing?"

Bradin sighed. "Better, now that I know Belle's gonna be okay. I tell you, I've never been so scared in my whole life."

Jay took a deep breath, trying to buy himself some time before confronting Bradin. "Tell me again, what happened to Belle?"

"It's my fault," Bradin said, staring at the floor, "I left her alone all night and Belle got mad. I mean, I begged her to go with me and she didn't want to, but she went anyway. And then I left her." Bradin sighed again. "If I had stayed with her, that jerk-off wouldn't have slipped anything into her drink… and she wouldn't be here in the hospital."

"At least you brought her to the hospital," Jay said, "Most people would just leave them at the party."

Shaking his head, Bradin said, "I couldn't do that. I couldn't just leave her."

"Where were you?"

"At Bryce's," he looked at Jay, "I told you that."

Jay nodded. "But you neglected to tell me that there was gonna be a party there, as well." Jay looked at him. "You lied to me, Bradin."

"I know," he replied, "I'm sorry,"

"Sorry doesn't cut it. I thought we were tight. We're supposed to be best friends."

"I knew you'd tell Aunt Ava and then she'd never let me go," Bradin rubbed his eyes, "it was stupid, I know."

"You knew it was wrong, so you lied to me so you wouldn't get in trouble?" Jay asked in disbelief. Bradin nodded. "You're right though. I would have told Ava because it would have been the right thing to do." Jay leaned over to look at Bradin as he averted his eyes. "You know what could have happened to you and Belle tonight, Bradin?"

"I don't care what happens to me, Jay!" Bradin shouted, causing some people to wake up from their sleep and look at them strangely. "I care about what happens to Belle! If anything happens to her…" Bradin's voice broke as he trailed off, "I don't know what I'm gonna do…" he looked at Jay, "I love her, Jay. I love Belle."

Jay looked away from Bradin. There'd been only one other girl whom Bradin had ever admitted to loving and that had been Erika, but he didn't know that she was back in town. Jay didn't have the heart to tell him right then, although he knew he'd have to tell him sooner or later, word in Playa Linda got around fast.

"That fiancé thing was a nice touch," Jay said, his tone changing from anger to playful.

Bradin laughed. "I was desperate, and it got me in, didn't it?"

"Why don't you go home and get some sleep," Jay suggested, "I can wait here for Belle."

Bradin shook his head. "I wanna be here when she wakes up," he said, getting up, "I'd better give her parents another call."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Jay asked. "It's 3 o'clock in the morning."

Shrugging, Bradin said, "It's never too late to call and tell someone that their kid is in the hospital," he pulled out his cell phone from his pocket.

"Let me call," Jay said, taking the phone from Bradin, "You go on back to Belle. I'll bring your phone by later."

Bradin nodded and disappeared back down the hall. Jay searched for Belle's home number in Bradin's phone book. Once he found it, he clicked the call button.

The phone rang for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, a groggy male voice answered. "Hello?"

"Hi," Jay said, "is this Mr. Xiong?"

"Yes,"

"I'm Jay Robertson—"

"Listen," Belle's dad said angrily, "I don't know how you got my home number, but it's 3 o'clock in the morning and I don't do cases this late."

"This isn't about a case," Jay said, "it's about your daughter, Belle."

There was silence on the other end, and then, "Belle? What's wrong with her?"

Confused, Jay said, "She's not in bed, Mr. Xiong, she's at the hospital. Someone slipped a date rape drug in her drink—"

"Belle was raped!" Mr. Xiong shouted.

"No," Jay said, "she wasn't raped. Luckily Bradin got her out of there."

"Who's Bradin?"

The longer Jay talked to Mr. Xiong, the more confused he got. "Belle's boyfriend," Jay replied.

"Belle has a boyfriend?" Mr. Xiong asked.

"Yes," Jay was getting annoyed.

"How's she doing?"

"The nurse said she'll be fine," Jay replied, "but we really think you and your wife should get down here as soon as you can."

"Is there anyone with Belle now?"

"Bradin's been with her all night."

There was a slight pause in conversation and Jay could hear muffled voices; Mr. Xiong was obviously telling his wife what happened to their daughter.

"We've got a really big case later this morning," Mr. Xiong said, "there's really no need for us to come down there if Brad's there with her."

"Bradin," Jay corrected, "but really—"

"We'll have her bills paid," Mr. Xiong interrupted, "don't you worry about it. If you could just get her home safely, that'd be great."

""We will," Jay said, "but--"

"Thanks for your time, Jim," Mr. Xiong hung up.

Jay stared at Bradin's phone, not sure if the conversation he'd just had really happened.


	14. Chapter 14

Belle squinted as she opened her eyes to adjust to the brightness of the room. The sunlight was spilling in through the nearby window. Surprised to find herself in a hospital bed, she stirred in attempts to turn over, but found someone was holding her hand. Tracing her hand up the arm, she found her exhausted boyfriend sitting in a chair slumped over with his head resting on the bed.

Not wanting to wake him up, Belle lay staring at the ceiling, wondering how she ended up in the hospital. The last thing she really remembered was falling down when she was talking to Damien.

"You're awake," a male nurse said when he walked into the room with a piece of paper, "you've been knocked out for quite a while." His eyes fell upon the sleeping Bradin. "It seems like your fiancé knocked out as well."

Not sure if she heard the nurse right, Belle asked in shocked, "My what!"

"He told the nurse last night that he was your fiancé," the nurse explained, handing Belle the piece of paper. "Check what you'd like for lunch,"

Belle looked over the list and checked off chicken and rice. The nurse said something about coming back with her lunch later and exited the room, leaving Belle to ponder.

She looked down at Bradin, confused. The nurse had said Bradin was her fiancé. Checking her left hand for an engagement ring, she found Bradin's hand holding on tightly to hers.

Had Bradin proposed to her during her black out? Had she been drunk? That wasn't possible since she'd only had a few sips of her punch. But then how did she end up in the hospital?

"Oh, God," Belle groaned out loud, waking Bradin up.

"Belle?" Bradin asked as he sleepily lifted his head up, his blonde hair a mess.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Belle apologized, "I didn't mean to wake you up."

Bradin shrugged it off. "I'm glad you did," he said sitting up and looking at Belle. "How are you feeling?"

"I don't remember a thing from last night, if that's what you're asking."

"Lucky you," Bradin mumbled.

Belle looked at him curiously. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing," Bradin said quickly.

"Bradin," Belle said angrily, "I'm in the freaking hospital and have no idea how I got here or why. I think I deserve to know."

Knowing she was right, Bradin asked, "Are you sure you want me to tell you?"

"I'd rather hear it from you than a doctor," Belle replied.

Taking a deep breath, Bradin began telling Belle the events from the previous night, regretting every word he had to say when he saw the expression on Belle's face. One he was finished, Belle had her eyes closed. Bradin was unsure whether she was crying or just sitting there.

"I wasn't—I wasn't…" Belle rubbed her eyes, unable to finish her question.

Bradin took her hand away from her eyes and held onto it. "No," he replied, gently kissing Belle's hand, "nothing happened."

Belle took a breath. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Bradin replied, "luckily I got there before anything happened. Once I got you out of there, I didn't know where else to bring you, so I brought you to the hospital."

Sighing, Belle opened her eyes and sat up. "How could I have been so stupid?" Belle asked. "I let my guard down because I was mad at you because you were with that girl. Bryce and Damien put this idea in my head that you were flirting with her and I got mad."

"Ready for your check up?" A female nurse said walking into the room. She looked at Bradin. "You're gonna have to wait in the waiting room. I'll come get you when it's done."

Bradin nodded as he got up and kissed Belle's forehead. "I'll be right back, babe,"

Belle smiled as she watched Bradin leave the room.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walking out into the waiting room, Bradin found Jay asleep on the couch. He sat down next to Jay and nudged him.

"Oh, hey," Jay said, waking up, "what are you doing out here?"

"Belle's awake," Bradin replied, "the nurse is doing a check up and kinda kicked me out." He turned and faced Jay. "What are you still doing here? I thought you would've left by now."

Jay shook his head. "I figured I'd stay here for Belle since her parents couldn't make it."

"Did you get a hold of them?" Bradin asked. "You never came back to tell me what happened."

Remembering the strange conversation Jay had had with Belle's father the night before he asked Bradin the question that had been bothering him all night.

"Are Belle's parents really such asses?" Jay asked.

Bradin looked at Jay with an extremely confused look. "What?"

"I called Belle's dad yesterday," Jay explained, "and he didn't know who you were, he didn't seem to really care about Belle being in the hospital. In fact, the only thing he really seemed to care about was some stupid case he had in the morning."

"I've never actually met her parents," Bradin confessed, "but they're never around. They're so busy with work they never seem to notice their daughter."

"Sounds familiar," Jay said.

Bradin knew exactly who Jay was talking about. When he first moved to Playa Linda he dated a girl named Sarah Boarding, the craziest girl he'd ever known, and who also turned out to be a pathological liar. She'd told Bradin her parents never cared about her and that they always left her alone, but in reality it turned out that her parents cared a lot about Sarah and she was the one who ran away all the time. It felt like a lifetime ago to him.

"This is different," Bradin said, "Belle's parents are never around, they're always on vacation, and if not that, they're constantly working cases." He sighed. "I can't believe they don't care about their own daughter."

Jay smiled and patted Bradin on the back. "Good thing she's got a man like you."


	15. Chapter 15

_**Author's Note:** THANK YOU for all the lovely reviews! They always brighten my day, especially those of you who review after every chapter! It makes me look forward to checking my email! LOL, well… I've realized that I've really got to get a move on with this because I'm leaving for college in about 2 and a half weeks! So once I'm at school, there's no more time for writing my fan fics, so I'm really pushing myself to get this done before the 27th, not only for my sake but for yours as well! I'm still having some difficulty writing, and I really do appreciate all of your input! If you've got any ideas you'd like to pitch to me to help me get a move on, just email me! Because right now, I know where I want the story to go but I'm having problems getting there, LOL. But I hope you're still enjoying it! Reviews have been fantastic! Thanks again!_

Staring at the people passing by on the sidewalk, Erika began to grow impatient. She had agreed to meet Jay for breakfast, but she'd been waiting for an hour and he hadn't shown up or even bothered to call to say he'd be late, but then again, that was Jay for you.

As she passed by Mona's Sandbar, Erika stopped. It had been a while since she last saw Johnny, she figured it wouldn't hurt to stop by and say hello. Walking into Mona's, she was glad to see it hadn't changed since she'd quit working there.

"Welcome to Mona's!" Johnny shouted as he pushed through the kitchen doors, and his face fell when he saw Erika standing there. "Erika!"

"Hey, stranger," Erika replied with a smile. She noticed he'd grown his hair out a bit, like Jay, otherwise still looked pretty much the same except he seemed a lot happier.

"You're back!" Johnny said after a short pause.

Erika nodded. "So I am."

Johnny continued to stare at Erika, at an obvious loss for words. "Are you hungry?" he asked, "I can have my cook whip something up for you."

"That'd be great," Erika said.

Johnny escorted Erika to a table. "What'll you have?"

Erika shrugged. "Has the menu changed much?"

Shaking his head, Johnny replied, "Not much. Just a few more add ons."

"Then I'll have a breakfast combo with an orange juice," Erika smiled.

Running into the kitchen, Erika heard Johnny shout, "Breakfast combo!" He came back out with a glass of orange juice and walked back to where Erika sat. He placed the glass on the table as he sat down across from her.

"How long have you been back?" Johnny asked.

"I just got back yesterday," Erika replied.

"Does Jay know you're here?"

Erika nodded. "I ran into him yesterday."

There was a slight pause, then Johnny asked, "Does Bradin?"

Erika sighed. "No. And I'd rather you not tell him I'm back, Johnny."

"Doesn't he have a right to know?"

Of course Bradin had a right to know, but Erika wasn't ready. Instead of answering, Erika looked down at the table and took a long sip of her orange juice. When she looked back up at him, she could see in Johnny's eyes that he wasn't going to let his question go unanswered.

"I'd rather tell Bradin myself," Erika said, "I don't want him to hear it from other people."

Johnny nodded, and to Erika's relief, changed the subject. "Have you found a job yet?"

Erika shook her head. "No places are hiring."

"You want your job back?" Johnny asked. "My best worker's gonna be out for a while, and I could use the help of a former best worker, someone who already knows how everything runs and I won't have to train them."

Laughing, Erika said, "I could definitely use the money,"

"Great!" Johnny said, "When can you start?"

"When would you like me to?"

Johnny sighed. "Friday nights are the busiest. You think you could start tomorrow?"

"Sure," Erika replied with a smile, "that'll be fine,"

Getting up, Johnny said, "I'm gonna go check on your order."

"Can I use your phone?" Erika said before Johnny walked away, "I wanna call a friend of mine,"

"Go ahead," Johnny smiled, "you know where the phone is."

Johnny disappeared into the kitchen once again as Erika got up and headed over to the cash register where she picked up the phone and dialed Jay's cell phone number.

"Hello?" Jay said once he picked up.

"Where are you?" Erika asked angrily, "I've waited for over an hour!"

"Listen," Jay's voice suddenly became quiet, "I can't talk right now,"

Figuring where Jay was, Erika became angrier. "Look, Jay, I thought we were meeting for breakfast, but if you were planning to spend the night at some girl's house you should have told me so I didn't waste my time waiting for you!"

There was a pause, then Jay laughed. "That's not it, Erika," Jay said, "It's just… I'm a little busy right now, okay?"

"Where are you?" Erika asked again.

"At the hospital."

Panic rushed through Erika's body as an endless amount of possible things that could have happened to Jay floated through her mind. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fin," Jay replied, "it's not me, it's… a friend of mine."

"Is he okay?"

"He'll be fine. Erika, I've gotta go, I'm sorry, but I'll call you later."

Jay had hung up before Erika could say anything else.

The nurse led Bradin back into Belle's hospital room where they found Belle sitting up in her bed with a tray of food in front of her. Bradin smiled as he walked over and sat down next to the bed.

"I'll just leave you two alone," the nurse said to Belle, "If you need anything, just buzz, but I think you'll be fine." She smiled at the two and left the room.

Bradin looked at Belle, who was pushing her food around with her spoon. "Hungry?" he asked.

Belle shook her head. "I don't really have an appetite." She replied.

"I wouldn't wanna eat that hospital food, either," Bradin examined what was supposed to be chicken, then looked at Belle, "My aunt's gonna bring some real food later for you."

Smiling, Belle said, "Thanks, Bradin," She brushed his sandy blonde hair from his eyes.

Bradin could see there was something Belle wanted to ask, but she hesitated. "What is it?" he asked.

Belle sighed as she mixed her food around. Looking up at Bradin, she asked, "Are we engaged?"

It took a moment for him to register what Belle had asked, but once it did, Bradin laughed.

"I don't see what's so funny," Belle said angrily, "Seeing as I can't remember a thing that happened last night, I've got to rely on you to be my memory, Bradin. And right now, I need to know if we're engaged."

"Calm down, Belle," Bradin said, still laughing as he held Belle's hand, "We're not engaged."

Belle stared at Bradin for a moment. "We're not?"

Bradin shook his head. "I told the nurse I was your fiancé so she'd let me stay with you. I don't think she believed me, though. I should have gotten you a ring to make it more believable."

Pausing for a moment, Belle let out a laugh. "Wow, that's good," Belle said, "'Cause I was gonna say I'd feel pretty stupid if you proposed and I couldn't remember it."

Bradin laughed again. "I would too." Holding her hand in his, Bradin looked into Belle's eyes, realizing this was the first time he'd ever seen Belle without make-up on, yet she looked, if possible, even more beautiful. He'd never paid that much attention to a girl's eyes before but Bradin noticed her brown eyes were lighter without the black eye liner she normally wore, and there were traces of hazel you could only see if Belle was looking directly at you, but if she stood in the sunlight her eyes almost looked golden.

Bringing Belle's hand to his mouth, Bradin gave it a gentle kiss and looked back at Belle. Knowing she was having a hard time trying to remember something, anything, that happened the night before, Bradin wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms and kiss away any horrible flashback that could occur.

"I love you, Belle," Bradin said, still looking at his girlfriend.

Belle looked strangely at him. "What?"

_It's now or never,_ Bradin thought to himself. He took a deep breath and began talking.

"I've never felt this way for a girl before," he said, "I never thought it could happen to me, but it did." Bradin sighed. "And I'm glad." As he looked down at the bed, his grip tightened on Belle's hand. "What happened last night made me realize that I don't wanna lose you, Belle, because if I did, I'd lose myself." He returned his gaze to Belle's, who was watching him intently. "I know all this is happening really fast, I barely have a hold on what's happening. I may not know where this is gonna take us but I know I wanna find out. And I really do love you, Belle."

She opened her mouth to say something but Bradin stopped her. "You don't have to say it back to me right now," he said, "I'll understand if you don't. But that doesn't mean I'll love you any less."

There was silence, and it seemed like an eternity before Belle opened her mouth again and five of the sweetest words Bradin had ever heard come out of her mouth: "I love you, too, Bradin."


	16. Chapter 16

Jay pushed open the door to the surf shop and entered. Belle was allowed to leave the hospital, given that she take it easy, and Bradin had agreed to take her home. He'd left the hospital before they had, saying something about being behind on inventory. Once he'd gotten to his car, he'd tried to get a hold of Erika because he felt bad about breaking their breakfast date.

Heading over to the counter, Jay picked up his clipboard and looked it over. He wasn't really behind on inventory, but he needed an excuse to see Erika. Lying to Bradin wasn't something that he was proud of, but he'd made a promise to Erika. Still, feeling guilty, he began doing inventory for the week, that way he wasn't really lying to Bradin.

"Howdy partner," Erika said as she entered the shop.

Jay looked up and smiled when he saw her. Erika wore a long, pink flowing skirt with a yellow tank top. Her long brown hair was braided into two pigtails that flowed over her shoulders.

"You look nice," Jay commented, turning his attention back to his clipboard.

"Thanks," Erika replied, feeling her face turn red.

"I'm sorry about this morning," Jay apologized.

Erika shook her head. "Don't worry about it," she walked over to the counter and propped her elbows onto the counter, "How's your friend doing?"

"Fine," Jay answered, "she went home today."

"It's a she?" Erika asked surprised, "So you were with a girl this morning."

Jay shook his head. "It's not like that, Erika. She's only a friend of… a friend."

Erika laughed. "Jay, it doesn't matter! I mean, we're not together anymore, it's really none of my business."

Jay looked back at Erika who just smiled at him. Erika had always been understanding; well, maybe not always, but usually. She didn't like to pry into other people's business unless they wanted her to, and when she did, she usually knew what to do. And it wasn't as though Jay had completely lost all feelings for her since they broke up, but losing her to Bradin was something he couldn't quite get over. It would have been so easy for Jay to just ignore Erika's return since she had left without telling him why (as well as every other person in Play Linda), but he knew she needed a friend, and given their past history together, he couldn't think of anyone better than himself.

"We're still friends, Erika," Jay simply said, "I'd have thought you'd wanna make sure I'm not getting too far over my head in some relationship."

"As long as I don't have to know what you do in bed, I'm okay," Erika said, standing back up. "I got my old job back."

This news shocked Jay. "You what?"

"I got my old job back," Erika repeated, "at Mona's Sandbar."

Jay just stared at her in disbelief. "Why?"

"I need a job, Jay,"

"You could've worked here!"

Erika laughed again. "Yeah, and run into Bradin when he doesn't know I'm here?"

"Working at Mona's isn't any better," Jay replied, "and if you ask me, it just seems like you're looking for an excuse to see Bradin."

That had never dawned on her. Johnny was dating Bradin's Aunt Ava, and he was the one who got Erika the job at Mona's in the first place. But she couldn't back out on Johnny now, he'd said his best worker was out and he needed help from someone who knew the ropes.

Not knowing quite what to say, Erika shrugged. "If I see him, I see him. No big deal."

Jay shook his head as he walked into the back room "When do you start?"

"Tomorrow night," Erika replied, "Friday night rush, you know?"

Jay nodded his head. "People just love the food at Mona's." Picking up a small box containing numerous nozzles for the airbrush Jay used to decorate surfboards with, he headed back out into the store. "Any plans for tonight?"

Erika shook her head. "I'll probably just see what's playing on TV tonight."

"Why don't we go do something," Jay suggested, "to make up for me missing our breakfast this morning."

"Sure," Erika said, "What do you wanna do?"

Jay shrugged. "Dinner and a movie?"

"Isn't that a little intimate?" Erika joked.

"As friends." Jay added.

Erika smiled warmly at Jay. "Sounds great."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Ava opened the front door to return to the hospital, she was surprised to see Bradin and Belle already standing there.

"I was just on my way to the hospital with food," Ava said, holding up a bag containing lunch she had prepared for Belle. Moving out of the way, she let them into the house.

"They let me out," Belle explained as she followed Bradin into the living room, sitting down on the couch, "the doctor says I'll be fine, I've just gotta keep from doing too much at one time for a few days."

Ava made a face as she sat down in a chair. "Johnny won't be too happy with that," she said, "he'll be upset about losing his best worker."

Belle laughed. "I've already talked to him about it, and I'm sure he can manage for a few days without me."

Ava smiled at Belle. "Where's Jay?" she asked, suddenly noticing the absence of her blonde surfer friend.

"He's right here," Jay said as he came trampling through the front door. Walking over to the living room, he sat on the arm of Ava's chair. "Just wanted to make sure you two got here alright."

"Isn't that sweet?" Ava said, touching her hand to Jay's knee, "I never knew you were so considerate."

"I have my moments," Jay said looking at Ava. "Ava, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Nodding, Ava got up and followed Jay onto the patio outside. "What is it?" she asked.

Jay sighed as he turned around to face Ava. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Bradin sitting with his arm around Belle on the couch, and as they searched for something to watch on TV, Bradin swiftly kissed Belle's forehead as he pushed some stray hairs out of her eyes.

"I've never seen Bradin like this," Jay said with his eyes still on the two in the living room.

Turning around to look, Ava said with a smile, "Me, neither. He must really like Belle, something about him is different."

"Ava, I think we should let Belle stay here for a few days."

Ava turned back and faced Jay, who was no longer looking at Belle and Bradin, but at her. "Are you joking?" she asked in shock.

"No. The doctor said she needs to take it easy for a couple days."

"And having her stay here's gonna do that?"

"Better here than that mansion of hers where nobody cares about her!"

Confused, Ava asked, "What are you talking about, Jay?"

"I talked to her parents," Jay said, thinking back to the phone call from the night before, "and they don't give a damn about Belle. They couldn't even go to the hospital because they were worried about a case!" Jay laughed. "I thought my dad didn't give me the right attention, but Belle's parents made dad look like a saint."

"But they're her parents," Ava said, "They have to care."

Jay sighed. "Unfortunately, Ava, just because someone's a parent doesn't mean they're gonna care about their child." Looking back into the living room, Jay said, "In fact, the only person who really seems to care about Belle is Bradin. I haven't seen him so worried about anyone and, I tell you, he's not gonna let her go home to an empty house where she'll be all alone. He loves her, Ava."

Jay turned back around and found Ava in a state of shock. Her mouth was half open as she struggled to find words.

"Bradin loves her?" Ava asked.

Jay nodded. "He told me last night."

Ava knew this was serious. Her nephew might have been a real ladies' man, but he didn't go throwing the words "I love you" around just because he felt like it. And something really did seem different about him; Ava noticed it the moment he walked into the house. He was happy when he was with Belle. In fact, he was the happiest she'd ever seen since Erika had left.

"You said last night that Belle was like family," Jay said when Ava didn't respond, "And if you really mean it, you'll do what's best for her."

Ava turned back and looked at Belle, who was watching Bradin talk with a smile on her face. She remembered that look; it was the look a girl got when she was really in love.

"We can work something out," Ava said with a smile on her face.

_**Author's Note:** I'm happy. People like Never015X make me happy, LOL. Review!_


	17. Chapter 17

Bradin made his way up the stairs to his sister's bedroom at the top of the house where Belle was staying for the next couple of nights. It was as big of a shock to Bradin as it was to Belle that his Aunt Ava was letting (insisting, more actually) that she spend the weekend at their house, especially if there wasn't anyone at her house to take care of her. Of course, Belle had said something about not wanting to be any more of a burden, but Ava didn't take no for an answer. And everyone was more than happy to have her around; Bradin knew they all liked her a lot, especially Derrick, who'd taken it upon himself to pamper to Belle's every need, giving Bradin more time just to be with Belle.

As he raised his hand to knock on the door, it flew open and he found himself standing in front of Nikki.

"She's still sleeping," Nikki said before Bradin could open his mouth, "I'm going downstairs to help Aunt Ava and Susanna with breakfast."

"You do that," Bradin said as Nikki slid past him and trotted down the stairs. Walking into his sister's bedroom, he found Belle fast asleep in Nikki's bed. Nikki had opened the window above her bed, letting in the sound of waves crashing onto shore. Bradin walked over and picked up the blanket that had fallen onto the ground and covered Belle with it. As he tucked it under her chin, he let his hand slide up the curve of her face and brush back her hair. Belle looked so peaceful when she slept. Not wanting to wake her up, Bradin kissed her on the cheek and got up to leave.

"Belle!" Derrick shouted, bursting through the bedroom door, "Aunt Ava says breakfast is ready, but I can bring it up here if you want!"

Bradin grabbed Derrick as he ran past. "D, keep it down," Bradin said softly, "you don't wanna wake Belle."

"It's alright," Belle said, stretching as she sat up, "she's already up."

Turning around, Bradin sat down next to Belle on the bed. "I'm so sorry,"

Belle shook her head. "It's okay, I need to get up anyway." She smiled at Derrick. "Thanks for the wake-up call, Derrick."

"No problem," Derrick replied, "so do you want me to bring you breakfast?"

"I'll go downstairs," Belle said, pulling the covers off her as she climbed out of bed, "I wanna say good morning to everyone."

"I'll set a place for you," Derrick disappeared down the stairs.

Bradin rolled his eyes and shook his head. Looking at Belle with her un-brushed hair tumbling over her shoulders and Nikki's pajamas, Bradin had never seen her look so adorable.

"You're wearing Nik's pajamas?" Bradin asked with a laugh, tugging at the bottoms. "That's right. You are about her size."

"Shut up," Belle said, laughing, "I didn't have a choice." Looking at Bradin, Belle took hold of the hand that was still on her leg. "I really appreciate everything your family's done for me."

Bradin smiled at Belle and turned his hand over to interlock his fingers with hers. "They like you, Belle."

"I like them, too," Belle replied with a sigh. "I'm sorry my parents are such asses. Maybe if they weren't, I wouldn't have to be so much trouble for you all."

"It's no trouble," Bradin assured Belle, giving her hand a squeeze, "I like having you around."

Belle smiled as she squeezed his hand back. "I like being around you."

They stared at each other for a moment, then Belle said, "I should really go home and grab some clothes, though. And I need to pick up my paycheck from the restaurant."

"No problem," Bradin replied, "I'll take you."

"Don't you have some training to do?"

"Trust me, surfing can wait," He kissed Belle's hand. "I wanna make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine," Belle said, "I really am."

"Good,"

"We'd better get downstairs," Belle got up and pulled Bradin by the hand.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It seemed that Mona's Sandbar had become one of Playa Linda's most popular hangouts in Erika's absence. Every table seemed to fill as soon as the previous people got up. She wasn't supposed to start working until that evening, but Johnny had called her hotel earlier, frantic because lunch rush was more than he could handle alone. Seeing that he really needed her help, Erika agreed to come in and help out, especially since she needed the money to start looking for an apartment somewhere.

As she began punching an order into the computer, Erika looked up and saw a familiar looking girl: short, dark hair, wearing a white tank top with blue jeans. She couldn't quite remember her name, but Erika definitely knew her.

"Hi," the girl said as she approached the counter, "Is Johnny here?"

"He's in the kitchen with an order," Erika replied, still wondering who this girl was, "but I can help you."

"I'm here to pick up my paycheck,"

Opening the drawer that contained the employee checks, Erika began rifling through them. "What's your name?"

"Belle Xiong."

Erika stopped searching and looked up at the girl named Belle. "How long have you been working here?"

"A little over 6 months," Belle replied curiously, "Why?"

"It's me!" Erika shouted. "Erika!"

Belle's face went from confusion to excitement. "Erika!"

Running around the countertop, Erika gave Belle a hug, glad to know that somebody besides Jay was happy to see her.

"I didn't know you were back!" Belle said once they let go of each other.

"I've been in town for a couple of days,"

Belle frowned. "And you didn't bother to tell me?"

Erika shrugged. "I figured nobody would really care since I left without… you know."

Pausing, Belle didn't say anything for a bit. "Well," she finally said, "be that as it may, I'm just glad you're back! How've you been?"

"Good," Erika replied, "and yourself?"

"Can't complain," Belle said, smiling. "I can't believe you're back! We've gotta do something together."

Erika smiled at Belle. She'd work with Belle for a bit before she'd left, but in that short amount of time, they had been friends. Of course, they hadn't gotten very close due to Belle's security screening of people before she decided to trust them.

"Are you working tonight?" Erika asked as she went back to the other side of the counter to grab Belle's check.

Belle shook her head. "Johnny had to give me a few days off."

A dawn of comprehension came over Erika. "So you're Johnny's best worker."

"Only because you left," Belle laughed, "but now that you're back… I don't know."

Finally finding Belle's paycheck, Erika handed it to her. "We really have to do something together, Belle. I mean, everyone seems to really hate me here in Playa Linda, and I could really use a friend."

"Sure," Belle said. She grabbed a napkin and pen off the counter and jotted something down. "Call my cell phone," she said, handing Erika the napkin.

"Thanks," Erika said, pocketing the napkin.

"I've really gotta get going," Belle said, "but it was nice seeing you again, Erika. You really should call me."

"It was nice seeing you, too, Belle," Erika smiled, "and I will call you."

Smiling back, Belle walked out of Mona's Sandbar.


	18. Chapter 18

"Do you want to come in?" Belle asked once they pulled up to the driveway in front of her house.

"Might as well," Bradin replied, taking off his seatbelt, "with that huge house of yours, you could take forever."

Getting out of the car, Belle slipped her hand into Bradin's as they made their way into the mansion. Passing by suits of armor and authentic paintings and sculptures from their original artists, Bradin always felt like he was in a museum. The house was filled with useless things for display only, giving off the impression that if you touched anything an alarm might sound and security would escort you out of the home. He couldn't quite understand how Belle could stand to live like this; even walking on the bare floor with his shoes on seemed to feel a bit wrong.

Following Belle past countless numbers of rooms (probably used for nothing as well) and up a few flights of stairs, they rounded a corner and Belle opened a door.

Though Bradin had been to Belle's house many times before, he'd never actually been in Belle's bedroom; he usually waited in the foyer while her butlers went to fetch Belle. Her bedroom was completely different from the rest of the house; the walls were painted pale green with an occasional poster of some sort every now and then. The canopy bed sat against the wall on the opposite side of the room. Across from that was a wooden closet. Off to the right, a door was wide open and Bradin could see it was a walk-in closet. Next to that, there was another door, Bradin assumed it was the bathroom. Except for the fact that it was bigger than his living room, the room looked almost completely normal.

"Nice room," Bradin complemented as he looked around.

"Thanks," Belle replied, walking over to her closet, "I decorated it myself once we moved back. Bought most of this with my own money, put everything up on my own."

Bradin walked over and examined the stereo system before sitting on Belle's bed.

"I would love living in this house," Bradin said, "total privacy, and you'd never have to leave the room unless you're hungry. Except you don't have a TV."

Belle walked out of the closet and opened what Bradin had thought was just a wooden closet. Sitting inside was a television set complete with a DVD player and speakers.

"I thought you said you bought these things on your own," Bradin said curiously, "How can you afford all this stuff with the pay you're getting?"

"This," Belle pointed to the TV set, "was a gift from my grandparents last Christmas. I haven't seen them since we left New York, and I think they're trying to bribe me to go back."

"I hope you don't," Bradin said, looking at Belle.

Smiling, Belle walked over to the bed and stood between Bradin's legs as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Trust me," she said softly, "I'm not going anywhere."

Slipping his hands around Belle's waist, Bradin pulled her to him and gave her a kiss, intending it to be a quick peck, but once his lips met hers, he felt as though a peck wasn't enough, and neither did Belle because her hands drifted from behind his neck to his hair and deepened the kiss. Gently biting Belle's lip, he grazed his tongue against her mouth, tasting the sweetness of her lips. He felt her open her mouth, and he pushed his tongue in, allowing it to explore and tango with Belle's.

Breaking the kiss, Belle said, "I need to get packed,"

Feeling a bit frustrated, Bradin nodded and let go of Belle. As she walked back to the closet, he laid down on the bed and sighed. They had the perfect opportunity: empty house, just the two of them, no interruptions. Yet he'd felt that it wasn't enough.

"I ran into an old friend today at the restaurant," Belle called from the closet.

"Who's that?" Bradin asked, staring at the top of the canopy.

"Her name's Erika," Belle walked out of the closet with a suitcase in one hand and clothes in the other.

Bradin shot up in bed. "Erika?" His mind began to race. It couldn't be... of course it wasn't, how many other Erika's were in Playa Linda? Mona's was one of the most popular spots, a number of girls named Erika could have been there. And if Erika was back, someone surely would have said something to him, right?

Shaking the thought off, he looked at Belle who was packing clothes into the suitcase. "What did she say?"

"She wants to hang out," Belle replied with a shrug, "she doesn't have many friends."

Knowing how popular Erika had been when she lived in Playa Linda, Bradin felt a rush of relief.

"When are you gonna see her?"

"Whenever she calls me,"

Pushing the thought of Erika out of his head, Bradin climbed off the bed and over to Belle, who zipped her suitcase and looked at Bradin.

"Shall we get going?" Belle asked with a smile.

Bradin nodded. Picking up Belle's suitcase, Bradin looked at her and said, "I love you, Belle."

Belle gave him a puzzled smile. "I love you, too, Bradin. Where did that come from?"

Bradin didn't reply, but shrugged and walked out the door.

_**Author's Note:** Shorter chapter, but I couldn't think of anything to follow this, so... review! Next chapter will be longer!_


	19. Chapter 19

After spending the entire weekend working, Erika was dead tired and looking forward to having Sunday night off, and she wasn't even working on Monday. She couldn't quite remember ever having to work so hard at Mona's Sandbar. Tips weren't that fantastic, either, but Erika was in need for money, and right now, any amount would do.

Working at Mona's definitely had its benefits, though. For one thing, it was a great way for Erika to meet new people and make new friends. The new crew workers weren't half bad, and everyone treated her nicely. Of course, Erika had run into a few people from her past, some angrier at her than others, but her biggest surprise was running into Belle Xiong, daughter of the two biggest lawyers in the country. Erika wasn't quite sure why she'd decided to work there, considering the income her parents made was enough to feed the country for 20 years, but soon found out that Belle's parents were greedy with their money, thinking that feeding their child and sending her to school was enough. Belle was a genuinely sweet girl, despite the fact that she didn't really trust anyone, and it was that that caused people to think she was stuck-up; but Erika knew better. If she had parents like Belle's, she wouldn't have trusted anyone who wanted to be her friend, either. And Belle made no exception with Erika, either, although, had Erika stayed in Playa Linda, they probably would have been great friends. Of course, the only thing they'd ever really talked about was surfing and a few minor details about their family, but Erika really liked Belle. And it wasn't as though Erika didn't love Jay for being so nice to her since she'd returned, but he was too close of a tie to Bradin, and sometimes a girl needs the companion of another girl.

Rifling through her purse, Erika pulled out the napkin with Belle's cell number on it. Picking up the hotel phone, she dialed and waited patiently as it rang.

"Hello?" Belle said, picking up on the fourth ring.

"Belle," Erika said, "it's Erika."

"Erika! Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing much. I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to do something tonight?"

"I can't. I've got plans with my boyfriend tonight." Belle sounded disappointed. "I'm really sorry."

Erika was disappointed, too. "That's okay."

"But how about tomorrow?" Belle suggested, "If you're not working."

Erika's spirits lifted. "Great! I'll give you call tomorrow, then."

"Sounds great," Belle said cheerfully, "but I have to go, so I'll talk to you tomorrow then!"

They said good-bye and Erika hung up the phone.

* * *

Belle hung up her cell phone and continued driving home. Spending the whole weekend at her boyfriend's house, she felt she should return home, even though her parents wouldn't be there. Bradin had brought her home earlier, and she'd gone out to get some groceries; she and Bradin had agreed on a night together, just the two of them. Of course, Belle knew exactly what could happen, and she wasn't quite sure what to think, but she figured she'd wait and see.

Erika's call had taken her by surprise. Belle hadn't really expected her to call, considering they weren't that close, but Erika did seem lonely since she returned, and it was all Belle could do but to be the friend she needed for the time being. It wasn't as though Belle didn't like Erika, she thought she was a nice person, but Belle got the feeling that Erika wasn't quite sure about herself, especially when it came to guys. That girl had guys constantly drooling all over her, and Erika really liked the attention, but she never seemed to be able to keep a relationship for very long; her last relationship caused her to run away. Not that Erika really ever talked to Belle about relationships, but Erika was popular with the surfers and word really got around about her. Belle never really cared to listen; all people did these days were trash talk about each other anyway.

Pulling into the driveway, Belle grabbed the groceries from the trunk and carried them inside. She dropped the groceries off in the kitchen on her way to her bedroom to change her clothes; Bradin was due in 10 minutes. Their plan was to make dinner and watch movies—not quite the most romantic night, but it was better than nothing.

As she pushed open her bedroom door, Belle found a path of burning candles leading up to a table complete with two silver platters, a vase of red roses, and more candles. Walking down the candlelit path, she looked around at the rest of her room: rose pedals were scattered across the wooden floor, more roses were perched upon Belle's bed, and candles flickered throughout the room.

"Do you like it?" Bradin's voice came from behind her.

Belle turned around to find Bradin standing in the doorway with more roses in his hand and a smile on his face.

"It's beautiful, Bradin," Belle said breathlessly.

Making his way down the aisle of candles, he presented Belle with the roses and a soft kiss on the lips. "I know roses are your favorite," he said softly, "and I totally cleaned out Linda's Flower Shop."

"You didn't have to," Belle said, taking the roses from him.

"I know," Bradin replied, still smiling, "but after what happened at Bryce's that night, I just thought it'd be nice to spend a romantic night together."

Belle smiled. "Thank you, but I bought food downstairs, too,"

Bradin frowned. "You shouldn't have done that."

"How was I supposed to know you had something planned?" Belle laughed as she felt Bradin wrap his hand around her waist.

"You weren't," he simply said, pressing his forehead against Belle's, "I wanted it to be a surprise."

"And it was," Belle said, closing the space between them with a kiss. Bradin quickly broke off and pulled Belle's chair out for her. She sat down, placing her roses on the ground, and watched as Bradin walked over and sat across the table, noticing how incredibly sexy he looked in the candlelight with his blue sweater and jeans. It was simple, but sexy. His signature locks that fell over his eyes gave him his bad boy surfer look, and Belle fought the temptation to brush them away so she could see his bright green eyes.

"So," Belle said, looking away from Bradin to keep herself sane, "what are we having tonight?"

"Chicken fettuccini," Bradin replied, pulling the silver covers off the plates.

Belle looked at Bradin in disbelief. "You made chicken fettuccini?"

Bradin nodded. "It may surprise you, but I learned from my mom."

Belle smiled in awe. "You never cease to surprise me,"

Looking at Belle, Bradin said, "The same could be said about you."

_**Author's Note:** Ha ha, I know I said the next chapter would be longer, but I thought it'd be better to break the "romantic dinner" into two parts, so the next chapter WILL be much longer! But, most unfortunately, I will not be back until Monday, so I hope you all can wait… you're going to have to, LOL. Reviews are appreciated!_


	20. Chapter 20

Sitting against the headboard of Belle's bed with her in his arms, Bradin smiled to himself. He loved the way she seemed to fit so perfectly in his arms, the way her hair smelled like strawberries, the way Belle's eyes seemed to shine every time she looked at him. Her cheek rested upon Bradin's shoulder and the feel of her arms wrapped around him was enough to drive him crazy.

Looking down at Belle, Bradin could see the reflection of the TV screen in her eyes, deeply immersed in the movie, which was more than he could say for himself—he hadn't paid any attention to the movies since it started. In fact, he hadn't paid much attention to anything but Belle since she walked into the room earlier. She might not have been completely made up—Belle hadn't bothered to put any make-up on, she'd left her hair down, letting it flow around her face, and she wore only a black shirt and green shorts, showing off her incredibly sexy legs—but that was how Bradin liked her. It was a side of her Bradin had never seen before and he found it absolutely stunning, especially tonight.

"Why aren't you watching the movie?" Belle asked, looking up at Bradin curiously. "I mean, I know it's a chick flick, but you're the one who chose it."

Bradin shrugged. "You're much more interesting to watch," he said, giving Belle a kiss on the forehead.

"Dinner was delicious, by the way," Belle said smiling. "Your mom taught you how to cook?"

Nodding, Bradin said, "She thought it was important for men to learn to cook, in case they fell for a girl who didn't know how to,"

It was the first time Belle had ever really heard Bradin say anything about any of his parents, but she smiled at him. "Well, I know how to cook. That doesn't mean I like doing it."

Bradin laughed. "True. My mom hated cooking, but she was one amazing cook, I tell you."

"And now you've inherited her amazing cooking abilities," Belle nuzzled her head into Belle's chest, "Which is incredibly sexy, by the way."

"You're not that bad looking yourself," Bradin said as he brushed Belle's hair from her face.

Belle smiled. "This has been an incredible night, Bradin."

"It's not over yet," Bradin replied, picking up Belle's hand with his and entwining their fingers. "I just wanted to help you get over what happened the other night.

"In case you haven't noticed," Belle said, "I'm doing alright."

Bradin noticed. Actually, he was a bit surprised that Belle wasn't more upset about being slipped a date rape drug.

"It's hard to be afraid of something you can't really remember," Belle said, reading Bradin's thoughts. "It's strange having people tell you what happened to you. I mean, I know I should be scared, but… I'm really not."

"So," Bradin began, "Are you saying that if we were to be 'romantically involved' you wouldn't have strange flashbacks?"

"I haven't had them so far," Belle said, looking at the hand that was in Bradin's and smiled. "And knowing that I've got you to watch me, I know I'll be okay."

Toying with Belle's hand, Bradin stopped for a moment. "How late do your parents work on Sundays?"

Belle laughed half-heartedly. "They left this morning for Arizona to work on their 'big case', which also happens to be very near this spa my parents just love to go to all the time. They'll probably be there all day tomorrow."

Bradin smiled back at Belle as he paused before asking, "What would you say if I didn't leave tonight?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," he took a deep breath, "What if I stayed here tonight with you?"

Belle looked up at Bradin. "You mean like a sleep-over?" she asked, regretting once she did.

Laughing, Bradin answered, "Yeah… something like that. Only sleeping's not quite what I had in mind." Leaning over, he began kissing Belle's neck.

Belle closed her eyes as she felt Bradin's mouth nuzzle and kiss her neck. Her breath shortened once she felt him open his mouth and lightly bite the skin.

"Wait," Belle said, pushing Bradin off of her. She climbed off the bed and shut the TV off, turning back around to look at Bradin, who sat on the bed, confused.

"What is it?"

Belle took a deep breath. She knew this moment had to come sooner or later. "I haven't done this before, Bradin," she said quickly.

Still confused, Bradin asked, "What?"

"I haven't ever…" Belle paused, "I haven't… I'm—"

Bradin smiled, understanding what Belle was trying to tell him. "You're still a virgin," Bradin said, saving Belle from having to say it herself.

Belle nodded. "I'm sorry,"

"Don't be sorry," Bradin climbed off the bed and walked over to Belle, "I just didn't know."

Belle sighed. "I know people think I'm this slutty rich girl who sleeps around with any guy who'll look at her, but I'm not. That's why I got mad that day I overheard Bryce and you talking. I thought you'd heard about that and figured, 'Well, hey, this girl's an easy lay'."

"I didn't think that at all," Bradin said, stepping closer to Belle, "You didn't even give me your name the first day we met!"

"I know," Belle said. She looked at Bradin. "Call me old-fashioned, but I just wanted to wait until I'm in love before I have sex with anyone, that way it'll be special." She shrugged. "I figured you should know."

Bradin nodded. There was no point in trying to hide his sexual history from Belle, she knew all about it anyway, yet she didn't really seem to have a problem with it now.

But then Belle stepped closer to Bradin, closing the space between the two of them, fingers toying with the collar of his shirt. Bradin could see something had changed in her eyes.

"I love you, Bradin."

It all happened too fast for either of them to realize. Bradin had leaned in for a kiss, and then suddenly found himself on top of Belle, gently laying her back onto the bed, both kicking off their shoes and wanting to take it beyond the kissing. Bradin wanted to feel the smooth texture of Belle's skin all over, he wanted to cover her in kisses, taste her silky skin, but most of all he wanted her.

Trailing kisses from her jaw line down her neck, Bradin's hands slipped under Belle's shirt. As he explored the softness of her skin over the ridges of her abs, Bradin felt Belle's hands run through his hair as she brought his mouth down upon hers and thrusted her tongue deep into his mouth. Bradin was ready to take all she was willing to give and gave her everything in return. Belle grabbed the bottom of Bradin's shirt, breaking their kiss only to pull it over his head. Her hands explored over the muscular body Bradin had built from years of working on a farm carrying bales of hay around and constant surf training.

Flipping over so Bradin was on his back, he felt Belle's legs straddle his stomach, the fabric of her jeans rubbing against his bare skin. Slipping his hands back underneath Belle's t-shirt, he slid them up the curve of her sides, skimming the sides of her bra as Belle lifted her arms in the air, allowing Bradin to slip the shirt off, revealing a black bra. Trailing his hands down Belle's arms, he pulled her down so he could taste her sweet kiss once again before trailing more kisses down her neck and over her shoulder. Pulling at Bradin's jeans, Belle quickly took them off, leaving Bradin in his navy blue boxers. Taking hold of Belle's waist, Bradin flipped them back so he was back on top of her, leaving kisses on her chest. He could hear Belle's breathing quicken once again as he kissed his way down Belle's abdomen. Pausing, he looked up at Belle who looked back at him with a smile. Reaching down for the belt buckle on Belle's pants, he stopped. The look in Belle's eyes told him she was ready, but he had to make sure.

"Are you sure about this?" Bradin asked. "Because if you don't stop me now, I won't be able to."

Belle smiled seductively as she trailed her hands down Bradin's chest. Unbuckling her own belt, Belle gently nipped Bradin's neck, looked him in the eye and asked, "Who says I want you to?"


	21. Chapter 21

_**Author's Note:** I just realized my dashes didn't show up to seperate scene changes, so my story just kind of went from one scene to another, so I went back and fixed it so it wasn't quite as annoying! LOL... Read, review, ENJOY!_

Being with Belle was a totally different experience for Bradin. Waking up with Belle in his arms made his heart race, but making love the night before was just amazing—making him wonder if he had been in love with the other girls he'd slept with if he'd feel different. But he'd never loved someone so much before. Looking at Belle, Bradin saw that she was still fast asleep, and he didn't want to wake her up. Instead, he closed his eyes and fell back asleep with the scent of Belle filling his nostrils with every breath he took.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Bradin awoke and looked at the clock on the nightstand. He'd slept for another two hours, and in that time Belle had gotten up and gone somewhere. He smiled as he sat up in bed, remembering the fabulous night he'd had with Belle. It may have been Belle's first time, but she'd definitely blown him away. Bradin had never experienced anything like that before; but then again, he'd never felt this way about a girl before.

"Morning, babe," Belle said as she walked into the bedroom with a try of food in hand.

Bradin placed his hands behind his head as he looked over at his girlfriend, only to find her wearing blue boy shorts and the sweater he'd been wearing the night before. Her hair was down, messy and un-kept, but Bradin thought she looked cute. He continued watching as Belle walked to the bed and placed the tray on his lap.

"You made me breakfast?" Bradin asked in disbelief, "But you hate cooking."

Belle shrugged as she climbed onto the bed next to Bradin. "I figured since you went through the trouble of making me dinner, I'd make you breakfast."

Bradin smiled as he looked at the contents of his breakfast: French toast, sausage links, scrambled eggs, and slices of fruit, along with a glass of milk and orange juice.

"I wasn't sure what you wanted to drink," Belle explained as she laid her head against Bradin's shoulder.

"This is great," Bradin said looking at the top of Belle's head. He could definitely get used to this.

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"Breakfast!" Ava shouted up the stairs, returning to the kitchen to grab the plate of pancakes and place them on the table. Breakfast was always a crazy time since everyone had their own schedules to keep to. "Nikki-napkins. Derrick-cups." She said as each one came down the stairs.

"On it, Aunt Ava," Derrick said as he hopped into the kitchen followed by Nikki.

"I don't see why we have to go through all this trouble," Susanna said to Ava as she set plates onto the table, "All anyone does is inhale the food and their on their way to catch a wave, the beach, or a movie with Cameron."

"Susanna," Ava groaned, "Breakfast is the only time we can ever really sit down and eat—"

"Except for our once a week lunches that haven't happened for a while," Susanna pointed out.

Ava rolled her eyes. Susanna had a tendency to be pessimistic about things sometimes. Well… all the time, actually.

"Good morning, loved ones!" Jay shouted as he and Johnny walked in from the back door.

"How was your jog?" Ava asked as she grabbed some orange juice from the refrigerator.

"Great!" Johnny replied giving Ava a quick good morning kiss.

"Hey," Susanna called from the table, "No smooching in front of us single people!"

Ava smiled as she walked over to the table and set the orange juice on it. "Everybody wash your hands before you sit down!" She said. Looking around, she realized someone was missing. "Don't tell me Bradin's still sleeping," Ava looked at her watch, "it's almost 10 o'clock."

"Young people need their sleep," Nikki replied as she sat down next to Susanna, "it's scientifically proven."

"But to spoil an absolutely perfect morning would be horrible," Susanna said sarcastically as she sipped her cup of coffee.

Ava once again rolled her eyes as she walked over and knocked on Bradin's bedroom door. "Bradin, breakfast!" There was no reply. She knocked again. "Bradin, come out, it's breakfast time." Again, no reply. Opening the door, she found his bed empty and made. Ava felt her heart drop. The last time she'd found Bradin's bed empty, he'd spent the night at Spanish Cove with Sarah.

Running back into the kitchen, Ava said frantically, "Guys, where's Bradin?"

Johnny looked at Ava strangely. "You mean he's not in his room?" He asked.

"If he was, would I be asking?" Ava looked around at everyone. "What time did he get back from Belle's last night?"

Nobody said anything. Jay knew exactly where Bradin was, and what he'd done. Bradin had a thing with just disappearing without a word, leaving Jay to cover for him, but this time, he didn't seem to mind, partly because he knew that if Bradin ever found out Jay knew Erika was back, he'd be furious.

"He wanted to get some surfing in," Jay said quickly, averting his gaze from Ava's. "We're training today, and he just wanted to get some free surfing in before we did anything."

Ava looked at Jay curiously, but, to Jay's relief, didn't say anything.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Don't you have some place to be?" Belle asked as she set Bradin's now empty tray onto the nightstand.

Bradin pulled Belle to him by the waist and kissed her neck. "Only here with you," he replied between kisses.

Belle giggled as she tilted her head, allowing him better access. Memories of the previous night played through her head as she felt Bradin's hand roam across her back under the sweater.

"I'm serious," Belle said as Bradin nipped at her collarbone, "Don't you have to get back to training with Jay?"

Bradin stopped in mid-kiss and looked at Belle. "I'd rather be here with you."

"Jay's gonna be mad," Belle said with a look of warning on her face.

"He'll understand," Bradin shrugged. He bent down to kiss Belle, but she moved out over on the bed and laid down.

"Maybe you should go," Belle said, but Bradin detected a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"I will," Bradin replied, "In a bit." He moved to grab something off the nearby nightstand. Putting an arm around Belle, he handed her a tiny box with his other hand. "This is for you."

A look of surprise came over Belle's face as she took the gift from Bradin. "You shouldn't have!" Belle said, looking from the box to Bradin, "I didn't get you anything."

"How could you have?" Bradin asked with a smile, "You weren't supposed to know about this. Or last night. Open it." He pushed the present toward Belle with his index finger.

Belle unwrapped the gift wrap on the box, revealing a tiny blue box. Looking up at Bradin, Belle said nothing, but opened the tiny gift. Inside was a ring containing two red jewels in the shape of conjoined hearts.

Speechless, Belle stared at the ring. Bradin took the box from her and removed the ring from it.

"It was my mom's," Bradin explained as he slipped it onto Belle's finger, "Well, actually, my dad gave it to her, but he got it from his mom. He said Grandma gave it to him and told him to give it to the girl he was going to marry. When my parents first started dating, my dad gave this to her, telling my mom that she was the girl he wanted to marry." He lifted Belle's hand up to get a better look at the ring. "My mom gave this to be a few days before the accident and told me the story, as if she knew something was gonna happen." Bradin looked away. "I wish you could have met my parents. They would've loved you."

Belle looked at Bradin with a sad smile on her face. Not knowing quite what to say, she softly kissed him on the lips. "I wish I could've met them, too."

There was an awkward silence, and Belle slipped her arms around Bradin's torso, resting her head upon his chest. She'd never heard him talk so much about his parents, and though it happened a few years ago, she could still see the hurt in his eyes, which gave her the impression they were very close. That was the kind of relationship she wished she had with her parents, but for them, work was more important that their child, and they'd proven that by leaving her at the hospital. Their idea of a close relationship with their daughter was being in the same house and having a small conversation, mostly about work.

Bradin placed his hand under Belle's chin, gently lifter her face to look at him. "I love you so much, Belle. And the moment I met you, I knew you were the one I wanted to give this to. I knew you were the one my parents would've loved me to bring home. I know—" Bradin said as Belle opened her mouth to say something, "—we're not ready to get married right now, and I don't know how long that's gonna be. But I'm hoping one day, in the… far future, that we will." He gave Belle a quick kiss. "You don't even have to feel the same way right now, but I have to let you know."

Belle smiled as she felt a tear drop from her eye. She had never known anyone could love her so much, nor could she love a person as much as she loved Bradin at that moment.

Wiping at her eyes, Belle said, "I can't take this, it's your grandmother's. It means a lot to you."

"You mean a lot to me," Bradin said, kissing Belle's forehead, "And there's no one else I'd rather give it to. Besides," he gave Belle a quick squeeze, "I know last night was a big deal for you. And it was for me, too. I didn't want you thinking I was gonna up and leave you because we made love. I wanted to prove that I really do love you, and I wanna make a commitment to us."

"You don't have to," Belle replied, running her hand over Bradin's bare chest, "I know you do."

"Then you'll take the ring," Bradin smiled, "and promise me something: you'll think of me every time you wear it."

"I don't need a ring to do that," Belle said with a laugh, "and who else would I think of?"

Running his fingers through Belle's hair, he felt her gently kiss him on the lips, feeling himself get lost, but before he could do anything, Belle had pulled away.

"What are you gonna tell your aunt about where you were last night?" Belle asked with a sly smile on her face.

Bradin said nothing. Instead, he kissed Belle, hard, before covering her with his body once again.


	22. Chapter 22

Jay looked at his watch for the umpteenth time. He'd given Bradin a few days off of training to be with Belle, and they were supposed to start again today, but Bradin was over an hour late, which was unusual since he lived for the ocean. But then again, girls did have their effect on the mind, and Bradin had one hell of a girl. Girls seemed to cause trouble in Bradin's world, though--especially ones that he thought were special enough to sleep with, always leaving Jay to cover up for him.

Of course, Jay hated lying to Ava, but if truth ever got out to Bradin that he knew about Erika, Bradin would hate him, and that was the last thing he wanted. Training Bradin had been a blast for Jay, it was like reliving the days when he used to surf competitions professionally. Not that Jay wasn't trying to relive those days through Bradin, he knew Bradin loved it. Jay was just his coach. If Bradin ever wanted to quit, Jay wasn't one to stop him.

"Jay!"

Turning around, Jay saw Bradin running toward him with his surfboard in hand. "What happened?" Jay asked angrily once Bradin had reached him, "We were supposed to start training an hour ago!"

"I know, I'm sorry," Bradin apologized, "I got… held up."

"Excuses later, you've got a competition this weekend, Bradin, and if you don't take training seriously you won't be at your best for the comp! Get out there!"

Watching Bradin surf was something Jay had never seen before. Bradin was a fantastic surfer, there was no doubt about that, and the many trophies he had sitting his in bedroom proved that. But there was something different about him this time; his moves seemed effortless, flawless, as though just being on water let these amazing abilities of his come out, and Bradin seemed, if possible, happier than Jay had ever seen him on the board.

After training for over two hours, Jay called him back onto shore for a summary of their training session.

"You're not getting enough air for you tailslide," Jay said handing Bradin a towel, "You've gotta give yourself more of a push-off. Otherwise, just a few minor details with a few other moves that can be worked out over the week."

Bradin nodded, but didn't reply, as he grabbed his water bottle and downed it. Jay could see a distinct smile on his face.

"You and Belle, huh?" Jay said suddenly, causing Bradin to look at Jay in shock.

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

Jay made a face. "Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about. I can see it on your face—you're practically beaming rays of light at everyone."

They both sat down on the sand, staring at the ocean water.

"Did you use protection?" Jay asked, once again, suddenly.

"Of course I did," Bradin replied, "Why wouldn't I?"

Jay shrugged. "I'm just glad to see you're being responsible."

"I wouldn't let anything bad happen to Belle," Bradin took another sip of his water.

"Did she have any flashbacks?"

Bradin shook his head. "That was the weird thing. I mean, we talked about that, too. Belle said something about it being hard to be scared of something she couldn't remember."

"That's good," Jay said, looking at Bradin.

"But I don't really understand," Bradin confessed, "I mean, wouldn't something like that be traumatic?"

"Everybody handles things differently,"

"But she seems perfectly fine," Bradin looked down at the sand.

"Would you rather she had the flashbacks?" Jay asked. "You'd rather she not want to ever get over it?"

Bradin thought for a moment. "I guess not." He sighed.

Jay watched Bradin for a bit. "How do you feel?"

Remembering the feeling of waking up with Belle in his arms brought a smile to Bradin's face.

"Too good for words," Jay said for him with a smile on his face. "Wow."

"I know," Bradin said sheepishly. "I sound like an idiot, but—"

"Anyone in love sounds like an idiot,"

Bradin laughed. "I guess."

Jay continued to watch Bradin, then looked out at the ocean. "I covered for you, by the way."

Bradin gave Jay a look of worry.

"I told Ava you went out early to get some surfing in before we started training again," Jay explained, "but I'm not too sure she believed me."

"Thanks, Jay," Bradin smiled, playing with the water bottle in his hands, "I owe you big time."

Jay only hoped Bradin wouldn't hate him for the rest of his life.

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"I can't believe you're eating that thing!" Erika laughed as she watched Belle pick up her messy chili burger, which was falling apart with every attempt she made.

"I'm hungry," Belle said, finally managing to keep her burger together as she took a bit, letting the juice run down her mouth and hands.

Erika threw a napkin at Belle and laughed. "That's disgusting, Belle,"

"Trust me," Belle said as she swallowed, "it tastes a lot better than your rabbit food there." She gestured at Erika's salad and noodle soup. "Besides, surfing works it right off."

Erika sighed as she played with her soup. "Surfing… now that's something I haven't done in a while."

"Really?" Belle asked in disbelief, "I thought you would've jumped right back into the ocean the moment you arrived in Playa Linda."

"Unfortunately," Erika replied, "I sold all my surf gear before I left." She had to, in order to get money to leave.

"Do you wanna go surfing?" Belle asked as she picked up the napkin Erika had thrown at her and wiped her mouth and hands, "I have extra surf gear, and I really wouldn't mind."

Erika shook her head. "I'm not really in the mood." Actually, surfing reminded her of Bradin, and she didn't need that, but Erika wasn't about to tell that to Belle.

"So," Belle said, chewing on a French fry, "Are you gonna tell me where you've been these past few months or do I have to pretend I don't care?"

Sighing again, Erika asked meekly, "Could you pretend you don't care for a while?"

"I suppose," Belle replied, "that doesn't mean I don't wanna know."

_You and everyone else,_ Erika thought to herself. There were a few things Erika rather not talk about, and one of them was her leaving. She couldn't quite understand why she refused to talk about it, but anytime anybody would ask, she tried to avoid it.

As Belle took a sip of her drink, Erika caught sight of a red jeweled ring on her finger.

"Oh my gosh," Erika said as she studied the ring, "that's beautiful!"

Putting the glass back onto the table, Belle smiled as she looked at the ring on her finger. "I know," she said.

"Who gave it to you?" Erika asked intently.

"My boyfriend," Belle replied as she touched a finger to the ring.

Erika winced at the word _boyfriend._ It'd been a while since she'd had one of those, and she silently added that to the list of things she didn't want to talk about.

"Lucky you," Erika said as she reached for the dressing for her salad.

_**Author's Notes:** I am really starting to hate this computer. Actually, I hated it a long time ago, but right now, I'm ready to like, kick it! LOL, it's annoying the crap out of me. But anyhoo, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will have the next chapter up a little later on today, but I kind of want to wait for a few reviews for this chapter before I get the next one up:D Review! Thanks bunches!_


	23. Chapter 23

"How did training go?" Belle asked as Bradin approached her with a kiss.

"Great," Bradin replied slipping his hand into Belle's as they walked down the pier. Seagulls squawked as they flew overhead, some people were fishing off the dock; others enjoyed the random stands that were scattered here and there.

"What'd you do all day?" Bradin asked as they rounded a corner.

"I had lunch with a friend," Belle replied, "Erika, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," Of course he remembered. He had a hard time trying to forget because he couldn't quite help wondering whether it was his Erika or not. He'd never told Belle this, though, because he wasn't sure how she would take it. But then again, Bradin couldn't quite seem to stop thinking about Erika, except when he was with Belle. If someone would just tell him that Erika was okay, maybe he wouldn't worry so much.

Trying to take his mind off it, Bradin pulled Belle into an embrace, wrapping his arms behind her back.

"I really missed you," Bradin whispered as he looked down at Belle, who smiled.

"We've only been apart for nine hours," Belle laughed, linking her arms behind Bradin's neck. She stood up on her toes and gave him a long kiss, causing all thoughts of Erika to leave him.

"Are you parents gonna press charges against this Damien guy?" Bradin asked once they broke apart.

Belle sighed. "When's the last time they ever did anything for me? Besides, it's kinda hard to have a case against him if I can't remember anything."

"But I'm an eye-witness!" Bradin exclaimed.

Belle shrugged. "Unless you can prove that Damien slipped something into my drink, we don't really have a case." She looked into Bradin's emerald eyes. "Did you see him do it?"

"No," he said after a moment of hesitation, "but still—"

"There's no case, then, Bradin," Belle said sadly.

"Are you sure?"

"When you have lawyers for parents you know a thing or two about the law." Belle explained.

"But—"

"Drop it, Bradin. If I'm not worried, why should you be?"

"What if he does it again, Belle?" Bradin said angrily. "What if this time, this girl's not as lucky?"

"Right now, we won't have a case," Belle repeated, "There's no point in running to my parents about it."

"But someone had to have seen something!" Bradin shouted.

Belle shook her head. "What are you gonna do? Call all the people who were at the party? I highly doubt Bryce knew all those people, much less have all their phone numbers."

Bradin got quiet and looked away from Belle. He couldn't understand why Belle was taking everything so well.

"Look," Belle said turning Bradin's face toward hers to make him look at her, "I'll talk to my parents about it, okay? If it'll make you feel better."

"I don't want you to do it for me, Belle," Bradin said, feeling the anger rise, "I want you to do it for yourself! For someone to take this so lightly—"

"I'm not taking it lightly, Bradin," Belle said, confused, removing her arms from around Bradin's neck, "I told you last night, it's hard to be afraid of something you can't really remember."

"Usually it's the opposite. Usually, people are afraid of things they can't remember."

"And I'm supposed to be just because everyone else is!" Belle was shouting now. "I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of this, Bradin!"

"I don't know why you aren't!" Bradin shouted equally as loud, "It's as if you want this jack-ass to get away with what he did!"

"Why would I want that?" Belle asked, lowering her voice.

"I don't know, but then again, I also don't know why you're acting like this, so I guess I must just be stupid."

"Bradin—"

"I've gotta go," Bradin said storming off.

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Walking into Beyond the Blue with two smoothies from the Tiki Squeeze, Erika called out, "Jay!"

Jay, who had been spray-painting a board, looked over at Erika. "Hey!"

Erika laughed as she saw the familiar protective mask Jay wore to keep the fumes from the paints from knocking him out.

"You look ridiculous," she laughed. She'd seen him wear that mask many times before, but it never seemed to cease at making her laugh. Jay really did look silly.

"Thanks for the compliment," Jay joked as he tugged off the mask, "What's up?"

Making her way to the counter, Erika said, "Not much. I just thought I'd com say hi to my only other friend in Playa Linda."

"You're gonna have to start making friends, Erika," Jay laughed, "I can't be your only friend. No offense, but talking about clothes and make-up aren't my best topics."

It was Erika's turn to laugh. "I know that's true. But I ran into an old friend a few days ago, actually, and we had lunch together earlier."

Jay smiled. "Nice to know you're dating again,"

"I'm not dating," Erika said defensively and playfully hit Jay on the arm, "and besides, she's a girl."

"Even better."

Erika hit him again.

"I'm just joking," Jay said, laughing, "Anyway, who is she?"

"Just this girl I used to work with. I tell you, it's so nice to have a female friend again."

Jay looked at Erika. "You didn't have girlfriends where you disappeared to?"

"I meant here," Erika said.

Jay studied Erika for a bit, but didn't say anything. Instead, he turned back to the board he'd been working on.

Feeling an odd silence, Erika forced a smile to lighten the mood. "Well, I bought you a Fruity Explosion from Tiki Squeeze. They're the best!"

"Thanks," Jay said as he put the mask back on his face to start painting again, "Listen, if you want to, I can take you out tonight. We'll meet new people; let you make some new friends." He looked back at Erika. "If you want."

"I'd like that," Erika replied. Jay smiled (or at least, Erika thought he did; she couldn't quite tell through the mask he wore) and returned his attention to his board.

Erika smiled as she walked around the store. There had been so many memories in this tiny shop. This was where she once worked with Jay and Bradin; the two guys she'd ever really loved. Things did get out of hand every once in a while, especially when Jay and Erika broke up, and then when Erika and Bradin hooked up. But somehow, Jay always seemed to have time for Erika, even through all their hardships.

As she was admiring the blend of colors and the artwork Jay had put on a special order surfboard, she heard the front door open.

"Jay, I—" The voice stopped for a second. "Erika?"

Turning around, Erika smiled to greet the incoming person, but felt her smile fade as she felt her heart drop.

The one person she'd been avoiding, the person she'd been dying to see, was now standing in front of her.

Erika was standing face-to-face with Bradin Westerly.

_**Author's Notes:** LOL, I know I said I'd get this chapter out yesterday, but my brother kicked me off the computer before I could get it up, so here's the chapter for today! And… I thought I'd leave you this weekend with a bit of a cliff-hanger… ;) Evil me, yes, I know. I hate those as well, but they're fun when you're on the writing end of the spectrum. Thanks for all the fantastic reviews! They were really helpful, and some made me laugh:D Okay… a few replies to your comments:_

_**Beverlyd:** Thanks for the compliment! Glad to hear from you again!_

_**AlexaRose:** I love Erika! She's the coolest chick! Ack, I wish I could comment more, but I really don't want to give anything away… _

_**JmacKarla:** YOU ROCK! Again, sorry about the delay in updates._

_**Toridoristring:** I hope this chapter answered your question… LOL!_

_**Jessesfan0409:** Now, your comment made me laugh so hard! Throw my shoe at my computer? I'd rather keep my shoe… but maybe I'll throw my brother's? He's got bigger feet, and it'll do more damage… Hmm… He might sit on me, though. He's about 6 inches taller and 20 lbs bigger (and three years younger, I might add. Yes… that's extremely sad)… that might hurt. Thanks for the suggestion, though. That was my laugh for the day. Although that still doesn't do any good with my computer…_

_**Kandykane33:** My faithful reviewer… LOL, I don't know why, but I always think that whenever I read your reviews! And the strange thing is there are a lot of others who review after ever chapter, too, but you're the one I call my "faithful reviewer". Hope you don't mind:D_

_And while you're still reading this overly-long author's note (thanks a lot Anjo Mac, why can't you just shut your mouth?), why not take another few minutes to jot down a review?_

… _don't mind me… I talk a lot… to myself sometimes._


	24. Chapter 24

Erika was speechless. She felt her heart race—she'd wanted to see Brain since the day she arrived in Playa Linda, but wanting to see him and actually seeing him were two different things.

She watched as Bradin stared at her with a look; Erika couldn't quite tell whether he was angry, shocked, surprised, or… well, she couldn't tell. But she knew she didn't like it.

"Bradin," Erika had finally managed to say, though rather quietly.

"What are you doing here?" Bradin asked.

Erika didn't know what to say. She just stood with her mouth opening and closing with no words coming out. But what surprised her most was who came trumping into the store after Bradin.

"Bradin," her friend Belle said, not at all noticing Erika, and grabbing Bradin's arm, "I'm sorry about that back there,"

Seeing that Bradin wasn't listening, Belle followed his gaze to Erika, which gave her quite a shock. "Erika," Belle said, "I didn't see you there."

"You two know each other?" Bradin asked, looking first at Belle, then over at Erika. "What's going on here?"

"Bradin," Jay said from behind Erika, who had momentarily forgotten he was there, "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Not waiting for an answer, Jay grabbed Bradin by the arm and led him to the back room.

Belle, who was completely confused, looked over at Erika and asked, "What's going on here?"

Erika didn't have the heart to explain anything to Belle. After all, she'd been Erika's only other friend since she came back and that was something Erika didn't want to lose.

"I'm not too sure myself," Erika lied, looking around at the floor, then back up at Belle. "You know Bradin?"

Belle nodded. "How do you know him?"

That was the dreaded question. "We've known each other for a while," Erika replied. It was true, so Erika wasn't exactly lying; she was just leaving out details. "I've never heard you mention anything about him before."

"Same could be said about you," Belle replied. She walked over and stood next to Erika. "I'm beginning to think the world is rather small."

"Playa Linda is, anyway," Erika said and the two girls laughed.

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Jay shut the door once they got into the room. "Listen—"

"What the hell is going on here, Jay?" Bradin asked angrily.

"Erika's back in town—" Jay started.

"I can see that," Bradin nodded in Erika's direction.

"—but she wouldn't let me tell you," Jay finished, "I had to respect what she said."

"And what about me, Jay? I was the one who was worried to death about Erika since she left, and you knew that! And now I find out she's been here all this time—"

"She hasn't been here that long," Jay corrected, "Just a few days,"

Bradin looked at Jay in disbelief. "She's been here for a few days and you didn't bother to tell me?"

"Bradin—"

"And you got mad at me for not telling you about going to a party! You're the one who gave me this whole lecture about us being friends and you've been lying to me all this time!"

Jay didn't know what to say. Bradin had every right to be angry with him. Hell, Jay would probably hate him, too, had the situation been reversed. Hurting Bradin wasn't what he'd intended to do, though. He'd though he was doing the best for him, but there was no point in trying to point that out to Bradin since he seemed furious.

"What is she doing here?" Bradin asked, trying to calm his voice down.

Jay shrugged. "She wouldn't tell me. But that's a question you should ask her yourself."

"What makes you think I really wanna talk to her after the way she left me?" Bradin's voice was steadily rising. "She didn't give a damn about how I felt about her just disappearing, why would I give a damn about asking her where she's been?"

"Because you obviously wanna know," Jay said calmly, "and she's the only person who you should ask."

Bradin sighed. "How the hell does she know Belle?"

"Again, you're asking the wrong person, Bradin."

Bradin could feel himself boiling up. There were so many things he wanted to know—things he had to know, yet the only person who had the answers was the one person he didn't want to talk to: Erika. He was still angry about her leaving him, even though that seemed so long ago. Bradin wasn't quite sure what he wanted to do, but he knew that he didn't want to talk to Erika. At least not yet.

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As Erika and Belle stood in silence, both unsure of what to say in such an awkward situation, they heard the back door open and saw Bradin fly out, angry.

"Bradin," Erika said as she walked toward him, "Let me explain—"

"I really don't wanna talk to you right now, Erika," Bradin said, not looking directly at her but at a spot behind her.

Erika felt her heart crush. She wanted to explain everything to Bradin; she wanted to tell him why she felt the need to leave suddenly, why she left without a word. But she could see in his eyes that he wouldn't listen to word. Not now. So she silently nodded and retreated back.

"I'll see you later," Bradin said to Jay, then turned to Belle. "C'mon, Belle."

Erika watched as Belle followed Bradin to the door with a look of confusion on her face, but she didn't say anything. That was Belle for you: no questions asked unless necessary and it definitely came in handy sometimes. But when she saw Bradin take hold of Belle's hand once they reached the door, Erika felt her heart drop even lower as she realized that her only female friend in Playa Linda was dating the guy she'd been trying to get over. But seeing him again had caused Erika to realize that leaving Playa Linda hadn't done any good, because as much as she tried to deny it, she was still in love with Bradin.

_**Author's Notes:** Once again, thanks for the reviews! They always make me look forward to checking my email, LOL. Actually, today, I checked it and it said I had 21 new emails, so I got really excited, thinking that I got all these new reviews… but when I checked, only 7 were reviews, the rest were junk mail. It made me a bit sad, but reading the reviews made me happier:D_

So, originally, this was supposed to have been posted this **morning**, but my oh-so-lovable computer decided it wouldn't let me do that... so here you go! 

_Alright, so I've got about 4 days to get this story finished with before I leave, and even then, I'm getting internet for my laptop, so if I don't get this done in 4 days, I'll have a little… "extended" period, but I won't be able to update as much as I'd like to, so I'm really working my butt off right now (and I'm really going to miss it… it was nice and comfy…)!_

_Just a few comments, they won't be as extensive as my last chapter:_

_**Kandykand33**- You are the coolest chick ever:D And I love your reviews!_

_**Jessefan0409**- LOL, you make me laugh. I wish I could throw my computer out the window… but my dad would probably kill me if I did since it is his computer, and he'd make me replace it with my laptop (which I really desperately need, I love my laptop… except when the mouse goes haywire on me). And burning the wires seemed like a good idea… and I would have felt good about it for a minute… until my dad comes after me and takes away my laptop… so I nixed the idea. Actually, my dad's computer went stupid on me again today. I think it hates me. Like, it's secretly plotting ways to make my life horrible whenever I use the computer! Today, all I did was press the on button and it froze! Then I couldn't get the printer to work, causing my dad to think I did something to mess it up, this stupid message keeps popping up with every new page I go to online, we have this "pop-up prevention" thing on our computer and pop-ups are still… popping up! And it only ever goes bad when I'm on the computer. Geez… electronics must just hate me. But that's okay. So long as I can type and use the internet, I'm okay… oh, and I can play Minesweeper, but this dumb computer doesn't have it._

_Whew. I don't think that was too long, LOL. I shall end this for now and hopefully get another chapter up (which I might actually be able to do since my brother's gone!)! Review please!_

_**Anjo Mac**_


	25. Chapter 25

As she looked down at the face of the man she loved so dearly whose head was in her lap, Belle ran her hand through Bradin's hair as they watched TV. What they were watching, she had no idea; Belle had other things on her mind. She hadn't bothered to bring up the situation from the surf shop the day before, due to the face that Bradin seemed extremely angry about it, meaning he was no longer mad at her about not wanting to report a rape incident. But Belle couldn't pretend that she didn't want to know' she didn't know that Erika and Bradin knew each other. Then again, it didn't really surprise her since they both were well known surfers; they were bound to know each other somehow.

Belle really tried to push it out of her head, but try as she might it always seemed to keep creeping back. Something inside told her there was much more.

"This is good popcorn," Bradin said as he grabbed some popcorn from the bowl in his lap and tossed it into his mouth. "Want some?" He grabbed a handful and stuck it in Belle's face.

Belle laughed. "No thanks," she replied, "and it better be good, it's foreign popcorn."

"From where?" Bradin asked thickly through a mouthful of popcorn.

Belle shrugged. "My parents hardly ever eat anything that isn't imported from another country, including popcorn.

Bradin looked up at his girlfriend. "Your parents get weirder and weirder every time you talk about them. Then again, you're kinda weird yourself." Bradin flashed a smile at Belle who tousled his hair.

"Funny," Belle rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide the smile on her face. She continued to watch Bradin, trying to keep herself from asking about the day before, but unfortunately, Belle was unsuccessful.

"So what was up with yesterday?" Belle asked innocently.

Bradin sighed and rolled his eyes as he popped more popcorn into his mouth. "Do we have to talk about that?" he asked.

"I think I've given you enough time," Belle replied, "I didn't even ask you anything yesterday."

"And I'd really appreciate if you didn't ask me anything today,"

Belle looked at Bradin in disbelief. "Fine," she said, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at the TV, "I'm sorry I cared so much."

Bradin, catching the annoyance in Belle's voice, sat up. He moved next to Belle, placing the popcorn bowl on the coffee table and putting his arm around Belle. "It's not like that, Belle," he said, "it's just complicated."

"Well, then," Belle said, "explain it to me. How do you know Erika?"

Bradin groaned. "Do we have to get into that now?"

"Why are you avoiding it?"

"Well," Bradin stuttered, trying to buy himself some time, "how do you know her?"

"We used to work together," Belle replied, still with her arms crossed, "she left a few weeks after I started." Belle looked over at Bradin. "How do you know her?"

"She was my surf instructor," Bradin replied, "and Jay's ex-girlfriend. They kinda had a thing going on when I moved here, and Jay thought surfing would be a good way for me to get over the accident, so he introduced me to Erika."

That wasn't the whole truth, but there was no point in telling Belle more than she needed to know.

Belle looked at Bradin oddly. "Then why did you seem so upset yesterday when we left the shop if she was just your instructor? If I remember correctly, you had already signed with Wave Crashers before Erika left."

"Erika was my friend," Bradin said, feeling guilty for lying, "and she left me without a reason. Of course I'd be mad, weren't you?"

Belle shook her head. "We weren't that great of friends. But now that she's back, don't you think you should talk to her?"

"I don't wanna talk to her," Bradin said firmly, "I don't ever wanna talk to her."

"So you're gonna ignore her? Bradin, Erika has enough people pretending that she doesn't exist and I don't think she needs another one. She seemed really hurt yesterday the way you just left."

"Can we just not talk about this?"

"I don't see why we can't," Belle shifted in her seat.

"You know," Bradin said angrily, "right now would be perfect for your 'I'll-pretend-I-don't-care-until-you-wanna-tell-me' attitude."

Belle straightened up in her seat. "If I gave you that attitude," Belle replied, anger boiling up inside, "you wouldn't ever tell me anything!"

"Sometimes it's for your own good!"

"And what the hell does that mean?"

"Exactly what it means!"

Belle looked at Bradin with another odd look on her face. "That doesn't even make sense."

Bradin knew that, but he couldn't think of anything else to say. "Yeah… well…"

"Why do I get the feeling you're trying to hide something from me, Bradin?" Belle asked, softening her voice. "I mean, I'm sorry if this is something personal, but I love you and I really do care, especially if something's bothering you.

Bradin could see the honesty in Belle's voice and instantly felt like a jerk. He'd been trying to avoid talking about the event from the day before only because he didn't want to ruin the friendship between Belle and Erika. If Belle knew that he and Erika had a past relationship… if she ever found out how close their relationship was… he was afraid he'd lose her, especially if she thought Erika came back for him, which he seriously doubted, otherwise she would have said something the moment she came back.

"I'm so sorry, Belle," Bradin said as he pulled Belle in for an embrace, "I'm really sorry."

"I love you, Bradin," she repeated once she let him go.

"I love you, too, Belle," he said, giving her a quick kiss on the lips.


	26. Chapter 26

Erika laid down on her bed with a sigh. She had worked nine hours straight and didn't bother to take her break because they had been so busy. Luckily, Erika had taken the next day off to go apartment hunting because, as much as she loved not having to make her bed and people picking up after her, she wanted a place of her own. Nothing fancy, just something that would hold up until she had enough money to buy a real apartment.

The truth was Erika was trying to keep herself busy so she wouldn't have time to think about what happened at Beyond the Blue or, more importantly, Bradin Westerly.

She wanted to keep from reminding herself that she was still in love with him; she wanted to forget that the girl she wanted to befriend was now his girlfriend. She reminded herself that she came back to prove that she was over Bradin.

But as hard as she tried, the memories of the days when she and Bradin were together flowed into her mind. The days when Bradin used to go to Erika for advice on girls, the way they'd spend countless hours out on the ocean water surfing, the way Bradin looked in his wet suit, when Bradin first told her that he was in love with her—

"Get a hold of yourself, Erika," Erika said aloud to herself as she put a pillow over her face. Bradin obviously hated her; she saw the way he looked at her when he saw her in the surf shop. And the way he left without a word to her… with Belle.

Of all people, why did Bradin have to choose the girl that Erika thought would be the perfect friend? Belle, the girl who didn't ask too many questions, who always knew when to listen and when to give advice, who never pushed you for more information than you were willing to give… that was the kind of friend Erika needed. But now she couldn't help but feel a little resentful toward her, although that was just the green-eyed monster trying to pop out.

What did Belle have that Erika didn't? Erika was a surfer… but then again, so was Belle. And they both worked at the same place. Belle was, no doubt about it, one of the richest girls in Playa Linda, but she wasn't one to go around flashing her money… not that her parents ever really gave her money, anyway. Guys seemed to be interested in her, but Belle only had on guy in mind.

Okay, so Belle seemed to have quite a bit more than Erika, but that didn't make her any less of a person. Erika was once a well-known surfer, even though she never did do competitions. Belle was more known for her good looks and wealthy parents, but there was no denying that she was good at surfing. Not that she had anything on Bradin, but she was damn good. It was a wonder where she learned it all since Erika was one of the top surf instructors, along side with Jay, but Jay hadn't done much teaching in a while.

If Belle was the perfect friend then why was Erika wishing she'd never met her?

Before she could answer her own question, her phone rang. "Hello?" Erika said as she sat up to pick up the phone.

There was no reply.

"Hello?" Erika repeated.

The person sighed heavily. "Erika."

Erika stopped breathing for a moment. It was Bradin.

"Hey," Erika said, trying to hide the surprise in her voice, "how'd you get my number?"

"Look," he said impatiently, ignoring Erika's question, "I'm only calling you because Belle wanted me to, okay? She thinks we need to talk."

Erika tried to control her breathing. "Do you think we need to talk?"

"I wouldn't be on the phone with you if I didn't. There are some things I need to know, Erika."

Erika took a deep breath. "What do you wanna know?"

Bradin didn't reply for a moment. "I think we need to talk face to face."

"Uh… okay…" Erika stuttered, "I'm not working tomorrow—"

"Fine," Bradin interrupted, "I'm training until 10. I'll meet you at the pier at noon."

"That's great,"

"I'll see you tomorrow."

_Click._

Erika slowly set the phone back in its place. Seeing Bradin again so soon wasn't what she was expecting. Actually, she'd thought he'd try to avoid her as long as he could. Then again, he did say he was only doing it because Belle wanted him to.

It turned out Belle was a good friend after all. That was something Erika was hoping to prove wrong. She didn't want to be friends with someone who was with Bradin, but that wasn't Belle's fault. Erika wasn't sure whether Belle knew about her history with Bradin but was pretty sure he'd explained everything to her by now.

Lying back onto her bed, Erika sighed. Apartment hunting would have to wait until some other time—Erika was meeting Bradin tomorrow. She wasn't sure how she should feel: excited, because Bradin wanted to see her, or scared because she'd have to explain why she left and why she came back.

This was crazy. Erika was supposed to be over Bradin. She was supposed to come back and prove that she was over him. But how was she supposed to know that one look at him would send all her hard work out the window? Erika was supposed to be strong.

… So why wasn't anything going the way she planned?


	27. Chapter 27

As he neared the pier Bradin saw Erika sitting on a bench, wearing jeans and a tank top. She had pulled her hair off her face in a low ponytail, the way she had done so many months ago.

Bradin didn't know what possessed him to pick up the phone and call Erika. He knew he hadn't done if for Belle--well, not _exactly_. Of course he'd done it because Belle wanted him to, but he couldn't deny that a part of him wanted to as well. Talking to Erika would at least answer the questions that had been burning since seeing her.

He knew Belle would find out one way or another about him and Erika, there was no preventing it unless he talked to Erika about not telling her. As much as he didn't want to talk to Erika, it seemed like the only way to keep from hurting Belle.

There was still a part of him that was angry with Erika. He couldn't get over the fact that she didn't seem to care about his feelings; first she left and now she came back… both without a word. But there was that part that was really glad to see her again. Bradin wasn't sure what to feel at that moment--everything seemed to be happening in a blur.

Getting closer to Erika, Bradin started to think of something to say but drew a blank. He wasn't sure what to say. Jumping right into his questions was what he wanted to do but he had to be somewhat nice. And because he felt bad about being so cold on the phone the day before.

"Hey," Bradin said once he reached Erika and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

Erika looked up at Bradin and smiled. "Hey, Bradin," she replied as she got up from her seat.

Something about Erika's greeting was wrong. She acted as though nothing had happen, as though she'd never left. Almost as if she were forcing this warm welcome.

"Thanks for meeting with me, Erika," Bradin said, shaking off the feeling, "I just really think there are some things we need to talk about."

Erika nodded. "I agree."

They stood in awkward silence, both trying to look at something other than each other.

"Why don't we take a walk?" Bradin suggested.

Erika nodded again and the two walked down the pier. "How've you been?" Erika asked.

Bradin shrugged. "Great. Things are going great."

"Jay told me about you and Belle."

Feeling a smile creep across his face, Bradin replied, "Yeah… she's great."

"How long have you two been together?"

"About four months."

Erika looked at Bradin in surprise. "You remember? That's amazing. Guys don't usually remember things like that."

"Well," Bradin said as he stared straight ahead, "I'm different. This is different."

"How?"

Bradin hesitated to answer. He wasn't comfortable talking about his love life with Erika. Besides, there were other, more important, things he wanted to discuss with Erika.

"It just is," Bradin replied simply. He turned and faced Erika. "Where have you been?"

It was Erika's turn to hesitate. She clearly didn't want to talk about that yet, but Bradin figured he'd been nice enough. Erika knew why they were meeting, so she shouldn't have been so surprised.

"Where have you been?" Bradin repeated, still watching Erika.

Erika sighed. "You've got to understand something, Bradin. I didn't want to leave."

Bradin looked at Erika strangely. "Nobody made you leave, Erika. You left on your own."

Erika knew the truth had to come out sometime, and by the look of Bradin's face he wanted it right then and there.

But she wasn't ready to give it to him yet.

"Something came up," Erika said as she looked down at the ground. "A friend of mine had a problem and I had to go help him out."

"Just like that?" Bradin asked. "Without a word to anyone?"

"I had to."

There was something wrong with Erika's story. Of course she was the type to help someone in need, but she wasn't the type to just leave without a word. Bradin knew she was lying.

"I'm disappointed," Bradin said after a short pause.

Erika looked at Bradin confused. "Why?"

"You can't even be honest with me, Erika."

"What are you talking about, Bradin?"

Bradin gave Erika a look of disbelief. "You expect me to actually think that you left Playa Linda because you had to help a friend in need. You didn't bother tell anyone where you went and decided not to come back for a year and suddenly you're here?" Bradin shook his head. "There's something wrong with that story. That's not you."

Erika laughed exasperatedly. "Yeah, like you really know me, Bradin."

"I did," Bradin said angrily, "but I'm not sure I do anymore."

"I left because I was scared." Erika said so suddenly she even surprised herself.

Bradin's facial expression changed from anger to confusion. "Scared of what?"

Erika took a deep breath. "I was scared of losing you. I have never loved anyone as much as I loved you, Bradin. And it scared me." Erika looked up at Bradin. "I was scared because things with us were so perfect… and I didn't think it could last. I didn't wanna lose you."

"So you left me?" Bradin asked, more confused than ever.

"It was stupid, I know. You don't know how hard it was for me to let go, Bradin. You don't know what hell I went through after I left."

"You?" Bradin asked angrily at Erika's disregard for other people's feelings. "What about me? What about Johnny, or Aunt Ava, or Nikki and Derrick? What about Jay? What about all of us you left in Playa Linda, Erika? What about what we went through after you left? What about what I went through? You knew why you left, but I didn't! I drove myself crazy wondering what it was I did to drive you away without an explanation." He paused to calm himself down a bit. "You don't know, Erika. But had I known that you left on your own accord with no regards as to how I felt I wouldn't have worried so much. Because then I'd knew you never cared about me."

Erika looked at Bradin as though she'd been slapped in the face. "I do care about you, Bradin."

Bradin looked down at Erika. "No, you don't, Erika. Because if you did you never would've left." He paused. "And we'd still be together."

Erika could see the hurt in Bradin's eyes. "Bradin--"

"If you were so scared," Bradin interrupted, "then why'd you come back?"

"I came back to prove to myself that I'm over you, Bradin!" Erika said angrily, "I came back to Playa Linda knowing everyone hated me for leaving, but the only people who seemed genuinely happy to see me was Jay and Belle! I figured I could lie low for a couple of months before I'd ever see you again--"

"So you decide to befriend Jay and my girlfriend?"

"How was I supposed to know that you were dating Belle? I came back thinking I could handle anything that's happened since I left, but I never expected you to move on!"

That last line hit Bradin the hardest. Erika still had feelings for him, that much he could tell. But he wasn't sure how he felt about Erika.

Turning to face her, Bradin said, "That's too bad, Erika. Because I did."

_**Author's Notes:** I apologize about that long delay between the last two chapters! I just FINALLY got my new laptop from my dad TODAY, so I put off reading the chapter for Intro to Social Work so I could get this up since I felt so badly about making people wait! LOL... and I really needed a break from reading. I've done nothing but homework this weekend! But I did get to see this awesome acapella group called Inpulse! I've seen them before, actually, they came to my high school for a performance, and those guys are so great! Acapella singing is so hard to do and they were just amazing! And there was this totally hot guy from Australia... lol, he was hot. But the best part was that they sang an acapella version of Jesse McCartney's "Beautiful Soul"! My friends all laughed when they said that they were watching the VMAs and they were inspired to sing that song... :P Oh well... you've gotta love a group that has great taste in music, right? LOL... so yeah, I'm totally into Inpulse right now, they rock. But yeah... as I was saying before, sorry about the delay! I'll try to start doing the one chapter a day thing now that I've hooked my computer up to the internet and everything:D I'm super happy... plus I just pre-ordered the Jesse DVD, which made me even happier!  
I've moved into my dorm and everything, I started classes last Wednesday, had my 18th birthday on Thursday, watched "Napoleon Dynamite" on Friday (for the first time!) after seeing a hypnotist guy... did homework all day Saturday, and went to do some "harvesting the land" thing today where I had to seed these dill plants... that is the most tedious thing I've ever done in my entire life! LOL... we couldn't "spill" a single seed... crazy lady spazzed on us if we did! LOL...  
Okay, I got a bit carried away with my weekend... although I should mention I spent Saturday night in the game room with some people in my dorm playing Catch Phrase, which happens to be the funnest game I've ever played!  
Alrighty... thanks for the reviews! I hope that the delay in this chapter hasn't stopped my faithful reviewers (and I mean ALL of you, not just kandykane33) from reviewing! Again, I must say, reviews make me smile:D  
**-Anjo Mac**_


	28. Chapter 28

Meeting with Bradin had been a big mistake. Not only did Erika tell him everything she hadn't wanted to but now he knew that she was still in love with him. At least Erika thought he did.

Why had she been so stupid? Meeting with Bradin wasn't going to make her feelings for him go away, as much as she wished it would have. If anything, it made her miss him even more, and that hurt. Knowing that he was in another relationship with a girl she had considered as her friend… the pain was just unbearable.

And it wasn't as though Erika didn't see the way his face lit up when she mentioned Belle. Bradin was obviously really into her; the only time he really seemed to be happy was when he was talking about Belle. Another reason for Erika to wish she'd never befriended her.

Things weren't going so smoothly. Erika had intended to tell Bradin that she'd left to help a friend in need, which she did, but instead what happened was her accidentally telling Bradin she still loved him, and she knew he knew it; she could see it on the expression he had on his face.

As she rounded the corner that led to the road her apartment was on, Erika saw Belle walking down the opposite way.

"Erika!" Belle shouted and waved.

Erika silently groaned. Belle was the last person she wanted to talk to right now, especially since Erika couldn't quite keep her feelings for Bradin out of the way.

Instead of ignoring Belle the way Erika so badly wanted to, she smiled and replied "Belle! What are you doing on this side of town?"

Which was a good question since Belle lived on the other side of Playa Linda.

Belle shrugged. "Bradin told me you two were meeting today and I thought I'd just come by to see how you were doing," she said, "You seemed pretty upset the other day."

Erika tried to suppress her less-than-friendly feelings for Belle at that moment. "I'm doing fine,"

"That's good," Belle smiled, "How'd your meeting with Bradin go?"

"Fine," Erika sighed, "it went fine." She couldn't bear to tell Belle what she'd accidentally did. "Haven't you talked to Bradin?"

"I was waiting for you," Belle replied, "I thought maybe we could hang out or something."

Hanging out with Belle wasn't quite what Erika had in mind. She wasn't sure why she was really irritated with Belle at that moment, but she was.

"I've got some stuff to do," Erika replied, "I'm sure you have better things to do than spend your day with me."

"It's not a problem! We're friends, I can help you with anything."

_I don't want your help_, Erika thought to herself but silently cursed herself for being so mean.

"I was just gonna go do some apartment hunting," Erika explained, "I mean, I can't stay at that hotel forever, right?"

Belle looked upset for a moment, but then her expression changed; her face lit up as though she had the greatest idea ever.

"Come stay with me!" Belle shrieked.

Erika looked at Belle in disbelief. "You're kidding."

Belle shook her head. "No way! C'mon, my parents wouldn't mind, though they probably wouldn't even notice you were there… but still!"

"No way, Belle," Erika replied, "I don't want to intrude--"

"Intrude on what?" Belle questioned. "I don't mind and it's not as though we don't have the room."

Erika felt herself in a dilemma. She knew that it would be a while before she could actually move into an apartment, and even then she'd still have to make payments for the hotel she was renting out on top of making down payments for the apartment. She also knew that if she stayed with Belle she wouldn't have to pay housing; Belle would never take money from others.

But there was still a part of Erika that just wanted to refuse;. She wanted to show that she was just as good as Belle was; if Belle could live without money from her parents, Erika could as well. The only difference was that Belle wasn't paying rent in her house, and Erika doubted she could afford it with what she was making at Mona's. But then again, Belle was offering free housing and Erika was in a desperate situation.

"If it's okay with your parents," Erika replied half-heartedly.

"Of course it'll be okay," Belle replied, "Like I said, they won't even know you're there." Catching the look on Erika's face, Belle added, "But I'll make sure I tell them."

Erika sighed heavily. "Are you sure?"

"Totally," Belle smiled, "I told you I wanted to help."

Erika smiled meekly, feeling more and more guilty as each second passed. Belle was such a nice girl yet Erika couldn't help secretly hating her, and she knew why. It was because Belle was so nice, and that was one of the reasons why Bradin liked her so much.

* * *

_**Author's Notes:** Okay, I know this took me a while to get up but I had a lot of homework to do, LOL. I spent the past two days doing nothing but reading textbooks all day, and I decided to take a break and get this chapter up! I am going to work on the next chapter after I'm done with this, so it could be up tonight, could be up tomorrow... depending on whether or not I get reviews! Reviews have been kind of slow, actually... I only got 2 for the last chapter... but I'm hoping things will pick up, but I know people are busy with school, too... so my hopes are kind of high but I'm still hoping! Chapter's kind of short, but... I ran out of things to write, so hope you enjoyed it! Smile, take care, questions or comments: give me an email!  
And if anybody really cares, my profile has been updated. :)  
**Anjo Mac**_


	29. Chapter 29

Attempting to call Belle for the fourth time in an hour, Bradin sighed exasperatedly as he hung up his cell phone. She hadn't bothered to call him back, and Bradin had left two messages earlier. Feeling a bit clingy, he decided not to leave a message the last two times she didn't pick up her phone.

Bradin didn't know what it was, but he felt the need to see Belle. It was probably because he hadn't seen her all day, but he also knew it was because of Erika. He wished he hadn't met with her at all, since nothing seemed to be going right since she came back. A part of him wanted to hate Erika, but the other part was just glad she was back.

Frustrated, he climbed onto his bed to lie down. Why he was frustrated? Bradin didn't know. The past few days had been so hectic, so crazy, he wasn't sure about much anymore. All he wanted right at that moment was to see Belle; but since he couldn't because he didn't know where she was, he wanted to talk to her. He felt like he needed reassurance--that he was still in love with Belle. But how could he even question something like that? Belle had been the center of his world since he met her!

But things seemed to change once Erika returned. Suddenly, he was questioning his relationship with Belle, feeling as though he needed to prove to himself he was actually over Erika, although he thought that'd been done a while ago.

All he wanted was to see Belle. He wanted to kiss her again and again and again, to run his fingers through her soft brown hair, just to hold her hand and be with her. To just watch her as she did her everyday routines, wait for her while she got ready. He loved just seeing her and how she always seemed to look stunning, even in sweats; how she looked when she was angry about something, the faces she made were so cute. He had to see her.

Picking up his cell phone again, he dialed Belle's cell number and waited for it to ring.

"Hey, Bradin!" Belle said when she finally picked up after the fourth ring.

"Belle!" Bradin said, spirits rising. "I've been trying to get a hold of you all day."

"I'm sorry, I've been helping Erika move her stuff out."

Surprised, Bradin asked "Erika found a place to stay already? How?"

"She's staying with me,"

Bradin shot up in his bed. "She's staying with you?"

"Yeah," Belle replied, "I figured she needed a place to stay and that hotel she's at is outrageously expensive, especially for her salary at Mona's. And besides, we have more than enough room in our house."

"Are you sure your parents won't mind?" Bradin asked.

"Not at all," Belle replied, "they're flying out to New York or something this afternoon, and they won't even notice she's here. But I did talk to them and they thought I could use the company. I swear, ever since that night at the hospital they're trying to be more like parents, but they don't know how."

Bradin wasn't quite sure how to respond. "I could've came over,"

Belle laughed. "Yeah, considering my parents have never met you, Bradin, I don't think they'll be too keen on that."

"I need to see you, Belle," Bradin said honestly, "Can I come over?"

There was a pause. "Is this good or bad that you need to see me?" Belle asked.

It was Bradin's turn to laugh. "It's good. I just wanna see you."

"Aww," Belle gushed, "you're so sweet."

"Can I come over?" Bradin asked again, getting a bit impatient.

"We're still unpacking Erika's things,"

"I can come help." Bradin suggested.

Belle laughed melodically. "That's all I need, a distraction. You lifting heavy boxes, me dropping them." She laughed again. "I'll call you once we're done, okay?"

Bradin paused. "I miss you." He said suddenly.

"I miss you, too," Bradin could tell she was smiling--he could hear it in her voice. "Look, I'll give you a call when we're all settled down, okay?"

"Why can't I just come over?" Bradin asked impatiently.

"Because," Belle sighed, "I'd rather spend actual time with you. I don't want our time together to be just us unpacking Erika's things."

Bradin sighed heavily. He wanted to see her so badly, but knew that Belle would get mad if he came over with anyway, after she told him not to.

"Fine," Bradin replied. "Just don't take too long."

Belle laughed. "We won't. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Hanging up the phone, Bradin slumped back down onto his bed. He didn't want to wait to see Belle. It was only a matter of days before he would return to doing comps again and he wanted to spend it with Belle.

Still, there was that nagging part in the back of his head that told him the only reason he wanted to see Belle so badly was because he needed to prove to himself that he loved her and Erika hadn't messed anything up. With everything that had happened during his meeting with Erika, he'd totally forgotten to ask her not to tell Belle about their elaborate past.

Panic struck Bradin as this thought occurred. He'd forgotten to tell Erika! Erika was sure to tell Belle, and if not now, later, especially since the two were housemates! And Belle would get extremely angry because Bradin had tried to keep the truth from hurting her… and that was the last thing he wanted to do.

* * *

_**Author's Notes:** Hello again my fellow readers! I seem to be getting less and less reviews each time I put up a chapter, but I'm glad to see that some people are still reading! And again, I understand school is getting in the way of reading, but if you do get the chance to read, drop a review because then I'll know! And I like to know who's reading! It's been so nice hearing from a lot of you again, I was feeling a bit fanfic deprived... but I totally blew off my homework to do this! I'm such a procrastinator... but you know what? It was worth it. Actually, I had the first 2/3 of this done on Wednesday but I had writer's block, so I couldn't finish it. The ending isn't the best... but hopefully I'll be able to get everything resolved soon so I can start up the next story that's been burning in my notebook of ideas!  
__... okay, confession: I haven't been writing lately because 1) I really do have writer's block, and it's hard to write when that happens... ideas just WON'T COME! and 2) I've been obsessively going back and forth between my email, facebook, Xanga, and MuggleNet! I don't know what's wrong with me... I check my email about 40 times a day, I check facebook almost every hour to see if anyone's "requested me as a friend", I write loooonnnnngggggg summaries of my day on Xanga (and if anybody's interested in reading it, my SN is becauseyoulive87), and I am obsessed with reading the latest news about Harry Potter on MuggleNet! I am uber excited for the release of Goblet of Fire! But chances are I won't see it until I go home for Thanksgiving break... which is only about a week after the release date!  
Okay, I'm babbling again... oh, just recently got AIM (becauseulive87) if anybody wants to add me on (I can't for the life of me figure out how to do it... computers just don't like me!). Thanks to the people who reviewed, and pleasseeeee do it again:D Peace!  
**Anjo Mac**_


	30. Chapter 30

Belle sat in the living room on the couch with a book in her lap. After spending several hours helping Erika unload her things into the spare bedroom down the hall from Belle's room, Erika received a call from Jay, something about meeting for dinner. Erika had invited Belle, but she politely declined; Belle hadn't seen Bradin in a while and she had told him she'd give him a call once they finished unpacking. And Bradin had sounded quite desperate to see her--not that she didn't feel the same way.

Hearing the doorbell, Belle slipped the bookmark in to save her page and got off the couch. Opening the front door, she found Bradin standing with white roses in hand.

"What is this?" Belle gasped as Bradin handed her the flowers.

Bradin didn't reply right away. Instead, he grabbed Belle by the waist and gave her the kiss he'd been wanting to give her all day. His hands remembered the texture of Belle's face as he cupped her chin with one hand while keeping the other firmly on her waist. The intensity of the kiss deepened as Belle pulled him inside the house, shutting the door behind him, not breaking their contact for one moment.

The familiar rush of exhilaration Bradin felt whenever he was with Belle returned. They way she cupped the nape of his neck with her one free arm to apply pressure to his longing mouth felt so nice. Their kiss seemed to go on forever, but when Belle finally broke off, it seemed to have ended too soon.

"I need to put these in water," Belle said as she let go of Bradin.

Releasing his grip on her, Bradin followed her into the kitchen where Belle grabbed a vase from the closet along the way, filling it up with water from the sink, and gently placing the flowers in.

"I swear," Belle said as she arranged the flowers, "With the amount of flowers you're giving me, I could open up my own flower shop."

Bradin smiled at Belle. The fact that he could ever question whether he was still in love with her was just stupid--he loved Belle. Being with her brought that out more than ever, but all he wanted to do right then was to kiss her like there was no tomorrow.

"So what do you wanna do tonight?" Belle asked as she walked over toward Bradin.

Bradin sighed and stuffed his hands into his pockets to keep himself from grabbing Belle.. "Is it just the two of us?" He asked.

Belle nodded. "Erika went out for dinner with Jay."

"Those two are still talking?"

"They're friends," Belle replied as she sat down on the counter, "what's the problem?"

Not wanting to get into another argument, Bradin shook his head. "Nothing. I'm just glad we have the house to ourselves."

Belle gave Bradin a warm smile. "Since you were on the subject of Erika," she said, "how did your meeting go?"

"Erika didn't tell you?"

Belle laughed. "What is it with you and thinking that females tell each other everything?"

Bradin shrugged. "Because they do?" He replied meekly.

"No…" Belle rolled her eyes, but had a smile on her face. "We don't. We're females, but that doesn't automatically make us all the best of friends."

"I'll remember that," Bradin replied with a smile on his face.

"Have you eaten yet?" Belle asked as she walked over to the refrigerator and opened it.

"I'm not hungry,"

Belle looked at Bradin in disbelief. "You're always hungry."

Bradin shrugged again. "I'm not, really."

He watched as Belle shut the refrigerator door with a look of disappointment on her face. And she looked so-damn-cute.

"I'll tell you what," Bradin said as he walked over to where Belle was standing, "Why don't we make dinner together?"

"You're not hungry," Belle reminded him.

"That was a lie," Bradin admitted, "because all I wanted to do tonight was kiss you." He stood in front of Belle and smiled.

Belle looked up at him with a look of amusement and a hint of a smile on her face. "You wanna make dinner together?"

Bradin nodded. "It'll be fun."

A smile made it's way across Belle's face as she nodded. Taking that confirmation, Bradin leaned in and kissed Belle once again, gently pushing her back against the refrigerator door as he leaned into her, feeling Belle wrap her arms around his neck, gently massaging his neck. Bradin placed his hands on either side of Belle's head as he continued to deepen the kiss.

"I thought we were making dinner," Belle said between kisses.

Bradin smiled as stopped and looked down at Belle. "I thought I said I wanted to kiss you." Bending down, he attempted to give Belle another kiss, but she gently pushed him away.

"If you do, we'll never get dinner done," Belle moved away with a smile on her face.

"I told you, I'm not hungry."

Belle looked at Bradin with an amused look. "Well, I am, and you just said that you were!"

Bradin chose not to reply, but instead tried to kiss Belle once more, only receiving another dodge from her.

"Honestly," Belle said as she opened a cupboard to see what was in it, "I haven't eaten all day, and if you don't let me eat, I might just pass out."

Bradin gave Belle a sharp look. "Pass out" wasn't the smartest choice of words, and the moment she said it, a look of horror fell upon her face.

"I'm sorry," Belle said as she walked over to Bradin, who crossed his arms over his chest. "I didn't mean--"

"You know what's weird?" Bradin asked, "That this effect here seems to be going the wrong way."

Belle sighed heavily. "Do we have to get into this again?"

Bradin paused to think about that. He didn't want to get into another fight with Belle--his whole point of coming over was to spend the evening with her before he started his comps again, and fighting wasn't how he wanted to spend it.

"No," he replied, uncrossing his arms and pulling Belle toward him, "We don't."

"Thank you." Belle swiftly pecked Bradin on the lips, but moved away before Bradin could take any more.

* * *

_**Author's Notes**: Whoo hoo! I was right, it was just the school thing that was getting in the way! I got so many reviews this weekend, it made me super happy:D Uplifted my spirits a bit, LOL. Good to hear from all of you again. But, I didn't mean to sound like... "oh, you guys aren't reading my story, I don't like you!" Because I DO LIKE YOU! I appreciate you! LOL, I know that sounds corny, but I do! So if I came across a little... bitchy, I'm sorry.  
**kandykane33:** I added you onto my AIM! Just thought you'd might want to know... :P  
**JmacKarla:** Err... your Xanga didn't appear... so it just says "My Xanga is" blank. Yeahhhh..._

I'm excited for the weekend... and it's only Monday! But I won't class tomorrow until 2:30, so I'll probably write the next chapter tomorrow, who knows when it'll be up? I'm such a slacker... and that's not good. ;)  
**Anjo Mac**


	31. Chapter 31

Erika made her way the massive driveway of Belle's house with some groceries in hand. It seemed almost surreal that just a few hours ago she'd been staying in a dingy hotel room that didn't have cable or air conditioning, and now she was living in a house that would put the Hilton to shame. Temporarily, of course, although Erika didn't mind pretending it was her house. Living at Belle's would be what Erika had been picturing her whole life; the rich lifestyle with the butlers and maids, she'd never have to clean after herself.

She'd met a few of the people who worked at the mansion as they helped Erika and Belle load stuff into the house, and she was loving it. She loved the way they were so polite to her, how they greeted her as "Ma'am", how they seemed to want to wait upon Erika. She wondered sometimes why Belle chose not to have them around.

Then again, her feelings about Belle these past few days have been totally out of character. It wasn't like Erika to be jealous, but she couldn't seem to fight it. She couldn't even stand being in the same room with her, so once they finished unpacking Erika lied about meeting with Jay for dinner so she could get out of the house. Instead, she walked around the beach as watched as amateur surfers tried their bests to show off their moves, but failed miserably. She also stopped by the grocery store to buy food. Erika figured that since she was a guest in the house she should at least contribute to the food.

Opening the front door with difficulty due to the bags in her hands, Erika managed to step inside and shut it behind her.

"You're back!" Belle said as she came down the stairs, hand in hand with who else, Bradin.

Erika nodded as she fought the urge to kick something. "Yeah," she replied, "I thought I'd pick up some groceries."

"You didn't have to," Belle said reaching the bottom step, "We actually just finished dinner. There're some leftovers in the fridge if you're hungry."

Erika could feel her stomach gurgle, but she didn't want to accept a meal from Belle. Not yet, anyway.

"No, thanks," she replied. She still had to prove that she was just as good as Belle. She didn't know how not accepting Belle's food was doing it… but she wasn't going to accept it anyway.

"We're just about to watch a movie," Bradin said, "You wanna join us?"

To watch a movie with Bradin was exactly what Erika wanted to do, but having Belle there just ruined everything for her. Erika declined.

"No thanks," Erika said, "I think I'm gonna put the groceries away and just go turn in."

Belle looked at the clock that hung against the wall. "It's only 9 o'clock, Erika," she said.

"I wanna do a bit of reading," Erika quickly said, "I just bought this amazing book and I really wanna get started on it."

"Really?" Belle asked, "Well, you're gonna have to tell me if it's good."

Erika wanted to get out of there so badly, but she forced a smile. "I will."

"Belle," Bradin said," why don't you get the movie started and I'll help Erika put the groceries away and get some popcorn."

Belle nodded and disappeared into the living room. Before Erika knew what had happened, Bradin was inches from her, grabbing a bag from her arms.

"Thanks," Erika said as she followed Bradin into the kitchen. He set the bag on the counter and turned around to face Erika.

"Look, Erika," Bradin said, "There's something we need to talk about."

Erika felt the blood drain from her face. He wanted to talk about her accidental slip up the other day. She began to panic--she wasn't sure if she was ready to talk about it yet.

"What?" Erika asked, trying to keep her tone as normal as possible.

Bradin sighed. "Look… I know that we have… history and everything…" His voice trailed off as he tried to find the right words to say.

"What is it?" Erika asked, dreading what the answer would be.

"Could you possibly… not mention our history to Belle?"

His response took Erika by surprise. He didn't want Belle to know their history?

"Why?" Erika asked.

Bradin sighed again. "I don't want her to know, alright? Belle means so much to me… and I know that if she knew about it, she'd be hurt. And I don't want that to happen."

Erika was still confused. "How is keeping this from her keeping you from hurting her?"

"Just please don't tell her, Erika." Bradin pleaded. "You know how she is, she's… she'll try to be a friend to you rather than be happy for herself."

"And my happiness isn't important?" Erika asked angrily, unable to stop herself.

Bradin looked curiously at Erika. "What are you talking about?"

Realizing what she'd said, Erika forced a laugh. "I'm just joking," she replied, "of course, I won't tell her."

A rush of relief came over Bradin and he smiled. "Thanks," He turned around and grabbed a bag of popcorn from the nearby cupboard. "How was your dinner with Jay?"

The truth was Erika hadn't gone to dinner with Jay. She needed an excuse to get out of the house; Belle was being so hospitable, it was driving her insane. The only thing she could think of was going out to dinner with Jay. Of course, she'd felt guilty about lying to Belle, but seeing her with Bradin made her remember why she'd done it in the first place.

"Great," Erika lied. Oddly, she felt worse lying to Bradin than she did lying to Belle.

"That's good," Bradin said popping the popcorn into the microwave and setting the time. He walked back to Erika and grabbed the groceries out of her arms, and it was only then did she realize she was still holding onto them.

"Hey, listen," Bradin said as he began to put some things into the fridge, "I'm sorry about the way I've been acting toward you."

Erika looked over at Bradin in surprise.

"I should have been nicer to you," Bradin continued as the popping of the popcorn grew more frequently, "but I didn't know how to react when you came back. You've probably had it pretty tough… and I'm not making it any easier."

Still stunned by Bradin's words, Erika just watched him as he continued to pack the refrigerator. Secretly, she wished he'd never said any of that to her. It was easier to go on if Bradin was mad at her… but when he was nice, it gave her hope. And that was something she didn't need right then. Erika didn't want to feel as though she still had a chance. It would be crazy to even think she still did. And it wouldn't be fair on Belle, especially since she had no idea about their past, and now that Bradin had made her promise, Belle wouldn't know.

And it was that that still gave Erika a bit of hope. Why wouldn't he want Belle to know? How exactly would it hurt her when she didn't really know Erika then? It wasn't as if they had been friends.

The timer on the microwave woke Erika from her thoughts. Bradin grabbed a bowl out from underneath the counter, grabbed the popcorn, and poured it in.

"Sure you don't wanna join us?" Bradin asked as he popped a handful into his mouth.

Erika shook her head. "I'm good."

Bradin gave her a quick smile before grabbing two drinks from the refrigerator and leaving the room. He was eager to go be with Belle, that was obvious. He only wanted to stay with Erika for as long as he had to, she told herself. Bradin had obviously moved on, and it was her turn.

But yet, the memories of being with Bradin seemed to never leave her. Remembering how it felt to be held by him… to be kissed… to be caressed… to be loved. It was such a wonderful feeling. A wonderful feeling that hurt every time she thought about it.

* * *

_**Author's Notes:** For some reason, whenever I update my story, it doesn't show up on FF. Not unless I search for it under "M", which is stupid. I don't understand what's going onnnnnn... blah. And now my AIM doesn't work, so my apologies to anybody who has added me on and has wondered where I've gone. I'm still here. But AIM doesn't work. Oh well..  
This chapter got up really late, but I'm going to try and write another one by Friday and get it up that day. I've had so much homework this weekend, it's amazing that I found time to write! But... again, reviews have been slow, but that's okay! Thanks to those of you who have reviewed, thanks to those who read and didn't review! I just like to know people are reading:D Take care!  
**Anjo Mac**_


	32. Chapter 32

Walking along the sidewalks of the strip, Belle tilted her head back to take in more of the sun's heat. School was coming soon, meaning the weather was going to change. Summer had always been Belle's favorite season of the year, but in Playa Linda, that was about the only season they really had.

She was scheduled to start working again, though Belle practically had to beg Johnny to let her come back. She couldn't stand being in the house any longer--not being able to work was driving her insane. Besides, she liked working at Mona's Sandbar.

As Belle approached Beyond the Blue, she paused in front of it for a moment. Knowing that Bradin was out surfing on the waters, she decided to stop by and say hello to Jay, since she hadn't seen him for a while and she wasn't due at work for another 15 minutes.

Pushing the door open, Belle felt the cool air of the air conditioning against her skin. She shut the door behind her and walked over to the register.

"Hello?" Belle called out.

"Welcome to Beyond the Blue!" Jay shouted as he jumped out from the back room. "Belle! It's you!"

"Hey!" Belle smiled, happy to see him all the same.

"What are you doing here? Bradin's out surfing."

"I know," Belle replied, "I just thought I'd drop by and say hello to my dear friend Jay before I went to work."

Jay looked at Belle. "You're starting work again?"

Belle nodded. "I need to. I've never realized how boring I am until they kept me from working."

"You're not boring," Jay laughed, "and I doubt Bradin finds you boring, either."

Belle shook her head with a laugh. "When you've spent about a week by yourself in your house with nobody to talk to, you tend to get a bit bored of yourself. Thank goodness Erika's decided to come stay with me."

Jay looked up from the clipboard he had been writing on. "Erika's staying with you?"

"Yeah," she replied, confused, "I thought you knew that."

"I haven't talked to Erika for a few days now,"

Belle straightened up as she heard the news. "I thought you went out to dinner with her last night."

Jay shook his head. "I had inventory to do last night. Honestly, sometimes I feel that's all I ever do these days. Except for Bradin and his surfing."

"Wait," Belle said, "So, you didn't go to dinner with Erika? Well, where did she go last night then?"

"Beats me. Maybe you should ask Erika."

Belle couldn't believe Erika had lied to her last night. But then again, Erika might have had a legit reason, so Belle tried not to jump to any conclusions.

"So," she said, trying to change the subject, "Bradin told me the next comp is in Hawaii again."

"Yup," Jay said as he studied a surfboard he was working on, "Hawaii's the place to go for comps. They've got some of the best waves around." He looked up at Belle. "You should definitely check it out sometime."

Belle snorted. "Yeah, have my parents fly me out on their private jet? I don't think so, they'd never be up for it."

"Just come with us,"

Jay looked up at Belle once he'd realized what he'd said. "I'm sorry," he apologized, "I don't know why I said that. I mean, your parents would never be okay with that."

"You can say that again," Belle replied with a sigh, "Although I really wish I could go. It sounds like fun."

"Have you ever thought about competing?" Jay asked as he took a board off the wall to wax. "I've seen you, Belle, and you're not that bad."

Belle laughed. "Yeah right. You, of all people, know how great those surfers are in those comps and I have nothing on them."

Jay shrugged. "With a bit more practice you could easily be bringing in the trophies."

"No," she shook her head, "Surfing is something I do for fun."

"Ahh, but making money while doing what you love is everybody's dream."

"I don't think so," Belle replied, "I'm happy with the way things are right now."

Jay smiled as he looked at Belle. He'd never met a girl who seemed as though she'd be happy with nothing. She was definitely someone who knew she had more than most people and was grateful for it, which was hard to find in most people.

"Can I tell you something?" Jay asked still smiling as he turned his attention back to his board, "You and Bradin. I've never seen so much love between two people before."

Belle tried to hide her smile, but failed miserably. "Yeah."

"He really loves you a lot, Belle. I've never seen him like this before." Jay laughed. "I mean, when he and Erika were together, you could tell those two were in love, but this is different."

Belle continued to smile, but then looked up at Jay strangely. "Wait, what?"

"Bradin and Erika," Jay said as he grabbed a bottle of paint off the counter and began to shake it. "Those two were so in love until Erika just up and took off."

"What do you mean Bradin and Erika?"

Realizing he'd said too much, Jay stood silently, dumbfounded. "You didn't know about them?"

"What about them?" Belle demanded.

Jay continued to stand in awkward silence. He'd thought one of them would have told Belle by now, but he was obviously wrong.

"They never told you they used to date?" Jay asked stupidly.

Belle shook her head slowly.

"Look," Jay said, "I don't think I should be the one to explain things to you. I think I've already messed things up as it is right now."

"Is that why Erika came back?" Belle asked. "To be with Bradin?"

Jay shrugged. "I honestly don't know, Belle," he replied, "You're going to have to talk to Erika about that one."

'Oh, believe me, I will."

Jay could see the anger and hurt building in Belle. Putting down the paint, he walked over and touched Belle's arm. "Belle, that was so long ago. I don't think Erika came back to be with Bradin."

Belle stood silent for a moment, thinking hard about what she wanted to say. "Why'd she leave?" she asked after a while.

"I don't know," he replied, "but I don't think asking her would be a great idea right now."

"Nobody's telling me anything, apparently," Belle said angrily, "Don't I deserve to know something? Like why nobody bothered to share this bit of information with me?"

"Maybe they had their reasons, Belle," Jay suggested, praying that was what they had a damned good reason.

"I'd better get to work," Belle said and stormed out of the shop before Jay could stop her.

* * *

_**Author's Notes:** Since it is FRIDAY, and I seem to be getting more reviews over the weekend (probably because nobody's in school, LOL) here's the chapter for the week! Yeah... nothing too exciting... lol. I'm kind of running slowly here. Been a bit sidetracked with the new Jesse McCartney: Up Close DVD and the numerous other DVDs I've ordered online. Haven't been doing much of my homework, either, isn't that bad! LOL... well, I have, just not to my best ability. And I've been listening to "Les Miserables" a lot, I love that play! It's the best... along with "The Phantom of the Opera" but I'm not here to talk about that.  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and **jessesan0409**, thanks for the tip! I just had it as "M" for that one chapter where I didn't go into any detail, but I changed it back to "T". It was just a precaution, but it sounds as though nobody really seemed to care... so I changed it back! Yeah, it wasn't even much, I know... but like I said: weird people are on FF. LOL! But thanks to everyone, again, for the reviews! I'm actually already planning my next story... hopefully I'll get some time to type it out after this is done!  
**Anjo Mac**_


	33. Chapter 33

As she opened the front door to her house, Belle felt a rush of relaxation. She had just finished a nine-hour shift at Mona's and wanted nothing more than to relax with a nice bubble bath to get rid of her frustrations. With the rustle and bustle that was always going on at Mona's Sandbar, Belle hardly had a moment to herself, nor did she have any time to think about what Jay had said at his shop.

_Bradin and Erika,_ Belle thought to herself as she turned on the faucet on the tub. _Why didn't anyone tell me before?_

Tossing in a few bubble balls, Belle let the tub fill up with water and bubbles. She could feel the steam from the hot water begin to fill up the room and she watched as the mirror over the sink began to fog. All she wanted was to relax and not have to think about anything for the rest of the night.

Once the tub filled to the right height and the bubbles were perfectly lined with the top of the bathtub, Belle switched off the faucet, undressed, and slowly climbed in.

The water felt wonderful. It was hot against her skin at first, but soon after the hotness turned into a nice, warm feeling. The aroma of honey and pine from the bubbles made her muscles relax. This was exactly what Belle needed to get her mind off of everything.

Except it didn't seem to be working. As relaxed as Belle was, she couldn't seem to get her mind off of Bradin and Erika. Why hadn't he told her that he and Erika dated? And how was Belle going to bring this up with him without telling that Jay had accidentally let it slip? She didn't want to get Jay into any trouble with Bradin, especially since Bradin should have told her in the first place.

"Relax," Belle sighed, speaking aloud to herself, "maybe he had a good reason. Just relax."

She lay back in the tub and enjoyed the smell of the bubbles, the feel of the water against her skin. There was no other place she'd rather be at that moment, but she knew exactly who she wanted there with her: Bradin.

In attempts to wash away the busyness of her thoughts, Belle closed her eyes, held her breath, and dunked her head under water.

After her bath, Belle dried herself off with her towel then put her terry-cloth robe on, wrapping her long brown hair in a towel. She opened the door and walked back toward her room, where she met Erika who just left the guest room she was staying in.

"Hey," Erika said cheerfully, "have a good bath?"

The last thing Belle wanted to do was to talk to Erika. She wasn't sure of what she might say to her. She was really starting to regret the fact that she'd let Erika stay in the same house as her. Or at least, the same part of the house that Belle lived in.

"It was great," Belle replied, forcing a smile, "I've had a long day."

"Yeah, I came by earlier and it was hectic." Erika smiled. "So, I was thinking, if you aren't doing anything with Bradin tonight, we could have a girl's night in? You know, make-overs, painting our nails… the whole nine-yards."

Seeing as Belle didn't want to talk to Erika, spending an entire night with her was something she wanted to do even less than that. "I have to talk to Bradin and make sure he didn't have anything planned for us tonight, and I'll let you know."

"Sounds great!" Erika said excitedly, "I'm gonna go rent a movie. That way if you and Bradin have plans for tonight, I can watch it myself." Erika began to walk away, but stopped and faced Belle again. "Don't feel like you have to break any plans with Bradin. We don't have to do anything tonight."

"Don't worry about it, Erika," Belle replied, "I'll let you know when you get back."

Erika smiled and waved good-bye as she left. Belle walked into her room and shut the door behind her, glad to have the house to herself. There was no one there to bother her and she wouldn't have to talk to anyone.

Belle changed into a red shirt and shorts and flopped onto her bed. She didn't want to do anything with Bradin or Erika at all, but she also wanted to talk to Bradin about why he never mentioned anything to her about him and Erika. At the same time, she didn't really want to know anything about his past experiences with Erika.

Belle's thoughts were interrupted when her cell phone rang on the night stand. She leaned over and looked at the name on the phone: Bradin.

"Hey," Belle said when she answered the phone.

"Hey you," Bradin said happily, "what are you up to?"

Belle sighed. "Nothing much. I got off work, came home and took a bath."

"Sounds like fun," Belle could tell he was smiling. "Listen, I was thinking we could do something together tonight."

"Like what?"

"I don't know," Bradin replied, "we could watch a movie at your house, or we could go out to a movie… or dinner… or… whatever else you want to do."

"Erika's staying in tonight," Belle said, "she wants to have a girl's night."

"Oh," Bradin said, disappointed, "okay… well, maybe we can do something later. Or tomorrow."

As much as Belle didn't want to see Bradin, she missed him and she wanted to be with him.

"No," Belle said, "I'll see if Erika wants to do a girl's night some other time. I want to see you."

"Great!" Bradin's voice seemed to brighten up. "I'll come pick you up in an hour."

"Alright, see you then."

They hung up. Belle laid back onto her bed. She wasn't sure whether she wanted to see Bradin because she missed him or if she wanted to see him so she could scream at him for never mentioning him and Erika. What was worse, Belle couldn't understand why she was making such a big deal about it. So what if Erika and Bradin dated? Bradin was with her now, wasn't he? Obviously he was over Erika.

But Belle remembered that Erika had never told her exactly why she'd left Playa Linda in the first place. She mentioned that she needed to get away, but nothing about what she needed to get away from. Was it Bradin? Maybe something happened between the two of them that caused Erika to run. But why did Erika come back? There were so many questions burning in Belle's head, yet she was afraid to know the answers. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know about a steamy relationship between her boyfriend and her friend. There were things she wanted to know but didn't know how, or even who, to ask. Should she ask Erika about what went on between her and Bradin? Or should she ask her beloved boyfriend? Perhaps Jay, the trustful friend? Then again, Belle didn't want to get him into any more trouble than he may already be in once Bradin and Erika find out he accidentally let it spill.

All these questions were building in Belle's head, but there was one question that was topping them all: why did she care so much?

* * *

**Author's Notes:** I apologize that it took a VERY long time to get this next chapter up, but I've been really busy with school and whatnot, so chapters probably won't be coming out as often as we'd like them to. Winter break is coming up soon, so I definitely will have more time to write, let's just hope I don't continue running into writer's block.  
I'd like to take this time to thank everyone who has emailed me within the past year about updating my story. I apologize, again, for the delay in postings, but I am grateful that you're all being patient.  
Please review the chapter. It has been a while since I've had any and I'd like to hear your feedback.  
Thank you all,

**Anjo Mac**


	34. Chapter 34

Bradin turned off the engine of his car and gave himself one last look-over in the rear-view mirror. Although Belle had already seen him at his worst, Bradin still liked to look presentable when he went out with Belle. She was definitely worth the effort. Not to mention how Bradin always felt he needed to look better if he was going out in public with Belle. She was just so beautiful all the time, Bradin felt as though he had to look at least adequate. But there was really no point in trying too hard; Belle would always win.

Brushing his blond bangs out of his eyes, he hopped out of the car and headed toward the front door. He was excited about seeing Belle again. He felt as if it had been so long since he had last seen her, even though it hadn't been too long ago. Then again, he always looked forward to dates with his girlfriend.

Bradin rapped lightly on the door. When it opened, he found Belle standing there, breathtaking as always. She wore a light blue sun dress with a low cut neckline and stopped just above her knees. She also had on white flip flips, and Bradin smiled at how short his girlfriend really was. Her dark hair was down, flowing down her shoulders and disappearing behind her back. He could see a touch of make-up on her face, but nothing too overbearing. She looked amazing.

"Hi," Bradin said, swiftly giving Belle a kiss on the cheek. He took the sight of his girlfriend in once again. "You look amazing."

Belle blushed. "Thanks," she replied, returning Bradin's kiss on the cheek, "you look pretty nice yourself."

Bradin looked down at the white shirt and khaki shorts he had on. He felt as though he should have dressed up a little more.

"Are you ready to go?" Belle asked.

Bradin nodded and took her by the hand. Belle shut the door behind her and they made their way down to Bradin's car.

"I know we didn't have anything planned for tonight," Bradin said as he opened the car door for Belle, "but I thought I'd do something for you tonight."

Belle looked at Bradin curiously. "And what would that be?"

Bradin didn't reply. He simply smiled, shut Belle's door when she was safely inside, and walked over to the driver's side and climbed in.

"Bradin," Belle said, "where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," Bradin replied. Belle knew she wasn't going to get any more information out of him, so she sat back in her seat with a distinct smile on her face. Bradin started the car and they drove off.

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Ava grabbed a bag of popcorn from the cupboard and popped it in the microwave. At least one night a week, Ava liked to get the family together and watch a movie. Everyone's schedules were so different that they barely had time for their weekly lunches that she had planned before, so she thought a movie would be a better idea.

As she poured apple juice in glasses, Nikki and Derrick came bouncing into the kitchen, followed by Johnny.

"Did you guys decide on a movie?" Ava asked.

"Yes we did," Nikki replied, "Derrick and I compromised."

"Compromising is always good," Ava smiled, "why don't you two go set the movie up and round up everyone else. I'll grab the popcorn and juice and we'll have our movie night!"

Nikki and Derrick walked out into the living room. Johnny walked over to Ava and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Thank you so much for taking them to the video store," Ava said as she continued pouring juice.

"It was nothing." Johnny replied, giving Ava a quick kiss on the head.

"How did you get those two to compromise?"

Johnny smiled. "Durant secret, I can't tell you."

Ava smiled, all too knowingly. "You bribed them."

There was a short pause. "Okay, I may have told them I'd take them out for jumbo sundaes after the movie if they agreed on one."

"You're terrible!" Ava laughed.

"You love it," Johnny smiled. Ava smiled back.

"Alright," Susannah said loudly as she walked into the kitchen, "I'm here for movie night and I don't want any smooching from the two of you."

"Where's Jay?" Ava asked.

"I'll get him!" Derrick shouted as he zoomed out the back door to Jay's bedroom.

Johnny looked around the living room. "Aren't we missing a kid? Blond hair, surfer kid, he lives here too, doesn't he?"

"Oh, I let him have a night with Belle," Ava replied as she grabbed the bag of popcorn from the microwave.

"So Bradin gets out of movie night but no one else can?" Susannah said haughtily.

"Bradin doesn't get to see Belle too often," Ava explained.

"And where do you have to go to, anyway, Susannah?" Johnny teased.

"Shut up, jerk." Susannah mumbled, grabbing a glass of juice from the counter and walked over to the couch.

Jay entered the room, hair a mess and shirtless.

"Rough day?" Johnny asked once he reached the kitchen.

"I guess you could say that," Jay replied, opening the fridge and grabbing a beer.

Ava grabbed the beer from Jay's hand and handed him a glass of juice instead. "It's movie night, no alcohol." She said sternly.

"Listen," Jay said softly, "Bradin isn't here, is he?"

"No, he's out with Belle."

Jay shut his eyes and sighed angrily. Ava and Johnny looked at him strangely.

"What's up, Jay?" Johnny asked.

"I accidentally let it slip about Bradin and Erika." Jay explained. He told the two about what had happened earlier at the surf shop.

"You mean he never told her?" Johnny asked. Jay shook his head.

"You didn't know, Jay," Ava said in efforts to comfort him, "just tell that to Bradin."

"He was mad at me for not telling him about Erika being back in town, he'll be mad that I accidentally told Belle about his history with Erika. That should've been something he should've done."

"Don't beat yourself up about it," Johnny said, "you said so yourself, Bradin should've told her himself. He has no right to get mad at you about it."

Jay shrugged. He was still worried. Bradin was one of his best friends, and he knew that Bradin trusted him, especially after forgiving him for not telling Bradin about Erika's return to Playa Linda.

"If you don't mind, I think I'll skip out on movie night." Jay said, handing Ava the juice and grabbing the beer from her. He walked back out to his room.

* * *

**_Author's Notes:_** There it is, Chapter 34!! I'm officially on Christmas break so I'll have a lot more time to write and I won't have as much to distract me. That makes me happy!

Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed, please take the time to do it again. :)  
**Anjo Mac**


	35. Chapter 35

Belle felt the light wind blow against her face as she looked out at the water. Bradin's surprise turned out to be a late-night picnic by the beach. It wasn't anything too original, but Belle didn't expect too much. She was happy just watching moon reflected off the sparkling blue ocean water, making the waves look as though they were glowing, so happy to greet the shore.

Bradin, returning from clearing away what was left of their picnic, sat behind Belle and wrapped a blanket around the both of them. The entire night had been so calming, so wonderful. Belle felt so incredibly lucky to have a guy such as Bradin.

But there was a part of her that had been wanting to confront him about Erika the entire night. No matter how incredibly great Bradin was to her throughout everything, Belle had to fight the urge to yell at him, to scream at him, to break down into tears.

"I love you, Belle," Bradin whispered into her ear. And that made it that much harder for her to confront him, but Belle knew that if she wanted any type of closure with Bradin's past, she needed to know what exactly went on between the two of them so she could learn to get over it.

"I need to ask you something." Belle said softly. Even though she asked, part of her hoped that he hadn't heard her.

"About what?"

Belle closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. "You and Erika."

Bradin was taken by surprise. "What about me and Erika?"

There was no point in stopping now. "I mean, you and Erika. Together. In a relationship."

Bradin sighed. "Who told you about that?"

Not wanting Jay to get in trouble, Belle said, "That doesn't matter. I just wanna know why you never bothered to bring up the fact that I seem to be housing your ex-girlfriend who left Playa Linda for what I thought was no reason."

"I didn't think it mattered." Bradin replied quietly.

"How could it not?" Belle yelled, trying to keep her voice somewhat calm. "Doesn't it bother you that you've lied to me all this time?"

"What did you want me to say?" Bradin asked calmly. "'This is Erika, who, by the way, broke my heart and left me to wonder what the hell I had done to drive her away'? I am so much happier with you than I ever was with Erika, and I just didn't think it was that big of a thing."

"Except for the fact that she was your first love."

Bradin looked at Belle. "Who told you that?"

"Nobody."

Bradin laughed. "So, nobody told you all this stuff? You're just psychic and figured it all out?"

"Don't try and twist this onto me!" Belle yelled. She was so furious she didn't realize she had stood up.

Bradin tried to tug her back down to sit but Belle pushed his hand away. "Belle, just calm down."

Belle tried her best to calm herself down. She lowered her voice. "I just wanna know what exactly your relationship with Erika was."

Bradin knew he couldn't lie to Belle. He could see the hurt in her eyes and the way she was fighting back tears. There was no way he could lie to her. Finally getting Belle to sit down with him, the story of him and Erika poured out of his mouth: how she was one of the first people he'd met when he moved to Playa Linda after the accident, how she taught him to surf, how he was heartbroken when he found out Erika and Jay had a thing together, the way their friendship grew stronger and the next thing he knew he and Erika were a thing; things heated up between the two of them, the only problem was that she, at that point, was his surf coach for Playa Linda High School's surf team. Their relationship was exposed and they were forced to give it up. They tried to stay friends but Bradin didn't want that whatsoever, and things kept getting in the way. Once they were finally able to be together, Erika left him, alone and heartbroken.

That is, until he met Belle. She made him forget everything about Erika and he loved it. And he knew that he had to let her know that.

"You have made me the happiest I've ever been, Belle," Bradin said, taking Belle's hand in his, "and there is nothing that Erika could do to ever pull me away from you."

There was a very long pause before Belle said anything, and Bradin felt nervous. He wasn't sure what to expect from the situation.

"I just don't understand why you didn't tell me in the first place," Belle said finally, "You've been lying to me all this time?"

"I wasn't lying," Bradin tried to explain, "I was--"

"--keeping the truth from me?"

It didn't matter what way he tried to put it, the point was that he did lie to Belle and he felt horrible. There wasn't anything he could've said to her to make the situation any better.

"I'm sorry, Belle," Bradin apologized once again, "I really am, but there's nothing I can do to change the past. But this doesn't change the way I feel about you."

"Yes, it does!" Belle's temper started to rise once again. "You've been lying to me ever since Erika came back to town! I don't know what to believe anymore, Bradin!"

"Belle," Bradin said, trying to calm her down once more, "please--"

"Take me home." Belle demanded as she stood up.

"Why?" Bradin asked.

"I don't want to be around your right now."

Bradin shook his head. "I am not taking you home, Belle. Why can't we talk about this?"

Belle laughed. "What more can we really talk about? The fact that you've lied to me ever since Erika came back?"

"What does it matter?!" Bradin shouted, jumping to his feet. "Why does it matter whether or not I tell you about my past relationships? I don't hear you telling me anything about guys you've dated before?!"

"They haven't mysteriously disappeared and reappeared into my life, Bradin! And besides, the only boyfriend of mine worth mentioning to anyone is you because I never loved any of them! I've never told anyone I love them, not even my parents! Do you know how much it means to me to have someone like you in my life, to love you so much, to think you loved me just as much--"

"I do love you, Belle!"

"--then to find out you've been lying to me all this time about Erika? Do you know what it's like finding out that the one person you trust the most has been _lying _to you?" Belle sighed, then lowered her voice again then looked at Bradin square in the eye. "Do you wanna know why I put up walls around people? Do you wanna know why I don't trust anyone? It's because of people like you. It's like… the moment I think I can trust someone, they always take advantage of me. It hurts, Bradin. It hurts not having a best friend to talk to, to share secrets with… then you find out she's been sleeping with your boyfriend behind your back, stealing money from your wallet to buy him gifts… and all the while, I overlooked everything because I trusted the both of them."

Bradin finally understood why Belle was taking everything so hard. She had experienced something similar to this before and it was bringing back those memories.

"But Erika and I are over." Bradin said.

Belle shook her head. "No you're not," she replied, looking away from him, "I've seen the way she looks at you. She still loves you, Bradin."

"That's too bad! Because I love you, Belle!"

She shook her head again. "But you're still in love with Erika."

Bradin felt his blood boil. "How can you tell me that I'm still in love with Erika? Don't you think I would know my own feelings?"

Belle felt tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn't look at her boyfriend without bursting into tears, so instead she focused on the ground. "Then why didn't you tell me about the two of you?"

Bradin had never actually answered the question and he still didn't have one.

"If it didn't matter… then why didn't you tell me?" Belle asked softly. "If you were really over Erika, why would you keep your relationship from me?" Finally mustering up the courage, Belle looked up at Bradin, tears filling her eyes. "If you loved me, why didn't you tell me the truth from the beginning?"

Bradin didn't have an answer. He knew that he should have told Belle from the start, but he didn't. As much as he wanted to, he didn't want her knowing about his secret relationship with Erika.

And it was Bradin's silence that gave Belle her answer.

"Please take me home." Belle said as a tear fell down her cheek. Before Bradin could wipe it away, Belle moved around him and headed toward the car.

* * *

**_Author's Note:_** Yes, it's been a while! But, school is a priority!! I hope you enjoyed chapter 35! I had fun writing it, lol. It went in a totally different direction while I was writing it... but I like this a lot better. Reviews are greatly appreciated! I'd love to hear your thoughts!

_**Anjo Mac**_


	36. Chapter 36

Many days had passed since the last time Bradin had seen or talked to Belle. He'd gone to her house to try and talk to her but she was never there. He'd gone to Mona's Sandbar in hopes he'd catch her at work, but Johnny said that she hadn't come in for a few days. Calling her was no use because Belle was obviously screening his calls. They had ended on such a bad note and Bradin wanted nothing more than just to talk to Belle once again. He didn't know where they stood now; they hadn't officially broken up, but they weren't talking to one another.

Things were different now and Bradin didn't like it. He didn't like not talking to Belle, he didn't like not seeing her, and he really didn't like her avoiding him. He wanted to explain why he hadn't told her about Erika, but as much as Bradin wanted to he couldn't figure out exactly _why_ he couldn't come up with an answer.

One thing that had been bothering Bradin the most was how Belle was so convinced that he was still in love with Erika. There was no way possible that he could be. He loved Belle, and Bradin couldn't understand why she couldn't see that… or how she had found out about his relationship with Erika.

Bradin made his way down the pier, unsure of where exactly he was going. He had another competition coming up but he hadn't been practicing much. His mind was on other things… complicated things. Things that surfing couldn't clear from his head. Besides, there wasn't any point in practicing if he wasn't going to put 100 into it.

"Westerly!!" Shouted a voice from behind Bradin. He turned around to see Bryce, who was probably one of the last people he wanted to see at that moment.

"Hey," Bradin said, greeting Bryce with a handshake, "How's it going?"

"Have you hit the waves today at all?" Bryce asked. "They are killer! I had probably the best ride of my life today!" Bryce paused and added with a laugh, "At least surfing-wise."

Bradin, who wasn't in the mood for Bryce's cocky comments and jokes, forced a smile. "No, I haven't been out on the waves at all. Haven't been out all week, actually."

"Seriously?" Bryce asked disbelievingly, "What's up, Bradin?"

Bryce was the last person Bradin wanted to talk about Belle with. Bryce wasn't the type of person to stay in a long-term relationship, to commit, or even to see females as anything but sex objects. There was a point in Bradin's life when he wanted nothing but to be like Bryce, to live the lifestyle Bryce lived, to have girls all over him the way Bryce had, but ever since he met Belle his way of thinking had changed. In fact, many things had changed since he had met Belle.

Bradin shook his head. "It's nothing, man," he replied, "just having an off week."

Bryce looked at Bradin oddly. "An off week?" he asked, "In all the time I've known you, Westerly, you have never had an off week. Seriously, what's up?"

"Seriously, it's nothing."

"Is it that hot girlfriend of yours?" Bryce joked, "is she not giving you what you want?"

Resisting the urge to punch Bryce in the face, Bradin clenched his fists and took a deep breath.

"I need to get to the shop," Bradin said quickly, "I told Jay I'd be there an hour ago."

"Just tell your girlfriend that every man has needs," Bryce said loudly as Bradin walked away, "and there are things women should do for a man."

Bradin continued walking, ignoring Bryce's advice. He really had no idea where he was going, he was simply walking. Walking in hopes of figuring out a way to get Belle back in his life. Hoping that he might just run into her somewhere… anywhere at all. It had been so long since he had talked to her, and he missed her so much. He missed the feel of her hand in his, the way her hair smelled, the way her eyes lit up when she smiled, her laugh, the way she would nuzzle her head into his shoulder when he held her.

He sighed heavily. What he wouldn't give to have everything be okay again. Back before Erika returned to Playa Linda and made everything more difficult than it had to be.

Bradin walked by the Tiki Squeeze. He peered in to see Cameron behind the counter, making a smoothie for Nikki, who looked at him with pure admiration in her eyes. Nikki and Cameron had been together for some time and though Bradin thought they were a little young to be so serious, he couldn't think of anyone better for his little sister. Nikki had been so against moving to Playa Linda when they first left Kansas, but after meeting Cameron she became so much more comfortable. He had never seen his sister so happy… except before the accident happened.

"Howdy stranger," said a familiar female voice from behind him. Bradin turned around to find Erika. "Spying on your little sister?"

"No," Bradin replied, taking a step away from Erika.

"Liar." Erika smirked.

"I'm not lying."

Erika smiled at Bradin. He remembered that smile. It was the smile that made him fall in love with Erika... One of the first things he noticed about Erika was her smile. That seemed so long ago.

"What are you doing out here?" Erika asked as she pulled her long brown hair into a low ponytail, "I thought you'd be with Belle in Chicago."

Bradin was taken aback. "Belle's in Chicago?" he asked.

Erika nodded. "She left last week."

"She left last week?!" Bradin asked in disbelief.

"You haven't talked to her." Erika stared blankly at him. "How have you not talked to her?"

Clearly, Belle had not told Erika the current status of their relationship.

"You two didn't break up, did you?" Erika asked, though the expression on Bradin's face pretty much answered her question. She inhaled deeply. "That explains a lot."

"What do you mean?"

Erika explained Belle's strange behavior before she left for Chicago; the way Belle seemed to ignore Erika when she tried to talk to her, how Belle kept herself in her room for hours upon end not wanting anyone to talk to her, then suddenly she decided to visit an old friend in Chicago.

"I thought maybe you two got into a fight," Erika said, "but I didn't think you had broken up."

Bradin's heart dropped with every word Erika spoke. Belle had left Playa Linda without letting him know, without saying good-bye… it hurt to know he was the cause of that.

"Did Belle mention when she was gonna come back?" Bradin asked frantically.

Erika shook her head. "She barely told me she was leaving. Belle had her things packed and ready. Luckily I happened to be coming back from work right as she was leaving, otherwise I would have never known she left." Erika looked up at Bradin. "You two didn't break up, did you?"

Bradin sighed as he nodded his head. Looking up at Erika, he asked, "You didn't say anything to her about us dating, did you?"

Confused, Erika shook her head once again. "You asked me not to."

Irritated, Bradin ran his hand through his hair. "Damn it. Then who did?"

"What are you talking about, Bradin?"

Bradin explained the last conversation he had with Belle to Erika and how she wouldn't say who told her about their relationship.

"She said that it didn't matter," Bradin said, stuffing his hands into his pockets and leaning against the window of the Tiki Squeeze, "who told her about us."

"Belle was upset about us?" Erika asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice, "Why would she be upset about that?"

"Remember when I asked you not to tell her about us?"

Erika nodded.

Bradin sighed heavily. "I never told her about us."

The expression on Erika's face showed a mixture between hurt and confusion. His confession basically made Erika feel as though he was ashamed to admit that he had ever dated her.

Clearing her throat while trying to hide her feelings, she asked "Why not?"

"I don't know," Bradin replied, still staring at the ground, "I just didn't want to. It would've given Belle another reason not to be with me." He sighed again. "Not that it matters anymore."

"I still don't understand, Bradin," Erika said, "why didn't you tell her about us?"

"You know how she is, Erika! Belle's always thinking about others and never about herself. I just didn't want her to feel like she couldn't be with me because you and I had…" His voice trailed off. "I just really wanted to be with her. To give her the chance to be happy with me."

"And her finding out about us makes her not want to be with you… why?"

"I don't even know," Bradin looked up at Erika, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to pile all this on you."

Erika shook her head. "Don't worry about it. We're friends, that's what I'm here for."

Bradin smiled, but his smile quickly disappeared. He kept thinking about what Belle said to him about him still having feelings for Erika. Standing next to her and talking didn't quite help the situation, even if they were just friends.

He looked at Erika, who was looking back at him intently, still not quite understanding what was going on between him and Belle but knew better than to ask any more questions. This was exactly what he missed most about Erika; the way he was able to talk to her about anything at all and not have her judge him. Before they even started dating they had been insanely close, and that was pretty much what led to the beginning of their relationship. Erika always knew what to say and how to make him feel better, and Bradin had never quite found another person who could do that. And that was what made everything so much harder: he couldn't decide whether he wanted things the way they were before Erika had come back or before she ever left.

* * *

"Isn't that your brother with Erika?" Cameron asked Nikki and pointed to the window in front of the Tiki Squeeze. Nikki turned around to find Bradin and Erika standing there, looking at one another, not quite sure why he was with her since he had been so upset after he and Belle broke up.

"Yeah," Nikki confirmed, not happy at all with what she was seeing. She saw the look in both Bradin and Erika's eyes, a look she hadn't seen in a long time, and that made her worried.

"I didn't know they were talking," Cameron said as he began to wipe down tables.

"I didn't, either," Nikki said, more to herself than anyone else.

"But I suppose it makes sense since Erika's staying with Belle,"

Anything Cameron said after that, Nikki didn't hear. She watched as her brother gave Erika a smile, as Erika touched his shoulder, their body language a little too comfortable for her likings. Nikki felt her blood boil; Bradin was supposed to be with Belle, everyone knew it. She didn't care that they weren't together as of that exact moment, but Belle had changed Bradin for the better. Bradin had been so much happier, so much nicer to everyone since he and Belle had been together; when they broke up Bradin had been so depressed Nikki hardly saw him at all. To see him laughing with his ex-girlfriend made her angry, though she tried to calm herself down. She didn't know exactly what was going on with Bradin and Erika and didn't want to jump to conclusions, especially since that was what she was known for in the past when it came to relationships. It had almost cost her her friendship with Cameron.

"Nikki?" Cameron said, looking at her. Nikki turned and faced him.

"What?" She replied sweetly.

"Why are you staring at Bradin and Erika?"

Nikki felt her face turn red. "No reason," she said softly. She gave one last glance at her brother and his ex-girlfriend, both still smiling at one another before they parted ways.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone! It's been a LONG while, but I am determined to finish this story before I work on anything else. Believe me, I've had ideas swimming in my head for the past year and I will NOT work on them until I finish this story!!  
Thanks to everyone who has left me reviews and notes about updating. I've been working on this chapter for a while and I just couldn't get it right, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.  
No clue when the next chapter will get out, but I'm feeling pretty accomplished right now, so maybe it'll be soon? I don't know. I am on summer break so I'll have more time, but we know how many times I've said that before, haha.  
Reviews are greatly appreciated!! Thanks again for sticking with me while I try and get this done!  
3 Anjo Mac


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